Download THE PLAY ABOUT A PLANT CELL, AN ANIMAL CELL, AND A

THE PLAY ABOUT
A PLANT CELL,
AN ANIMAL CELL,
AND A
CURIOUS OXYGEN ATOM
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PLANT CELL – Part 1: Cell Wall and Cell Membrane
Oxy: Hy! Dro! Would you like to come with me to see if we can get into a
plant cell?
Hy: Sure! We’ve made a water molecule before and got right into a plant
cell. We can probably do it again!
Dro: I don’t know if I want to, the cell wall always scares me because he is
so tough.
Oxy: Really? How scary?
Hy: Oh, come on you guys. It’ll be fine. Let’s make a water molecule.
Hy: (links arm with Oxy) H!
Dro: (links arm with Oxy) 2!
Oxy: O!
Hy: (knocks on pretend door) Knock, knock!
Cell membrane: Cell wall, check to see who’s here.
Cell Wall walks over to Oxy, Hy, and Dro)
Cell Wall: Cell membrane. We have a visitor.
Cell membrane: Yes I know. Who is it?
Cell membrane: (Walks over beside Cell wall)
Cell Wall: It’s a water molecule.
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Cell membrane: I’m the cell membrane and I make the decisions about
who gets in or out of here. Let me see if you’re on my list. (Looks through
list on clipboard.)
Cell membrane: Yes, water is on my list.
Oxy: Are you the cell wall? You don’t look so scary. You look REALLY
strong!
Cell wall: Thanks. (make a muscle)I work out. I’ve got to! I’m the cell
wall and I’m here to support and protect the plant cell.
Hy: Plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells don’t.
Oxy: That is too bad they don’t have anything like YOU there.
Cell wall: Well it’s too bad I haven’t seen anything like YOU around HERE
lately.
Cell membrane: Alright, alright….break it up…we’re glad to see you water.
Cell wall, they’re on the list. Let them in. You’re headed for the vacuole
right?
Cell wall: (Lets Oxy, Hy, and Dro walk into the cell.)
Oxy: We’re actually on a little field trip. I wanted to see the parts of a
plant cell. Can we look around?
Cell membrane: Sure. See you on your way out.
Cell wall: And if anyone bothers you just let me know because like I said
(make a muscle) I’m here to protect and support.
Cell membrane: Let’s go cell wall. We’ll see you later water.
Cell Wall and Cell Membrane: (Go back to their spot)
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PLANT CELL – Part 2: Nucleus & Mitochondria, Cytoplasm, Lysosome, Ribosome
Nucleus: Welcome to my cell, water! I control what’s going on around
here, and I’m glad to have you here. Without you, we’d be all droopy. I
am in charge. Give me some water, carbon dioxide, and sunshine and we
can make our own food. Sounds kind of like magic, doesn’t it?
Oxy: Sure does. I can’t wait to see everything in here. Who’s that?
Mitochondria #1: Me? I am the mitochondria. We convert the food made
by chloroplasts to energy the rest of the cell can use.
Oxy: Ok, now what about that one?
Cytoplasm #1: Cytoplasm here. We fill up the cell and surround the
organelles. We’re a colorless, jelly-like substance.
Hy: Oxy, look over there. That’s a lysosome.
Lysosome #1: We store chemicals that we use to break down worn out cell
parts and break down large food particles.
Dro: Oxy, look over here now! Those are ribosomes.
Ribosome #1: (robotic voice) (Ribosome pushes out papers that say
PROTEIN) Protein, Protein, Protein.
Oxy: I am guessing they make the proteins?
Dro: You got it.
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PLANT CELL – Part 3: Chloroplasts
Oxy: These green things, what are they doing?
Nucleus: They’re being lazy! Chloroplasts! Let’s get moving. Quit laying
around on the job!
Chloroplast #1: Dude, as the chloroplasts it IS our job. We’re totally
chillin’. Just catchin’ some rays, you know?
Chloroplast #2: We’re gnarly-cool! First we’re all like collectin’ the light
from the sun and then we’re all like addin’ some carbon dioxide and
water….ya.
Chloroplast #3: Listen dude-ettes, we’ve got mad skills, we’re actually able
to convert energy from the sun into energy the cell can use!
Chloroplast #1: Check it out, that’s photosynthesis in action!
Chloroplast #2: Whoa, right in front of your eyes. (nodding)Awe-some.
Chloroplast #3: (nodding)Sweet.
Chloroplast #1: (nodding)Totally.
Oxy: It IS pretty awesome.
Chloroplasts #1, 2, 3: (gives a nod)Later.
Dro: (pointing at the chloroplasts)Animal cells don’t do THAT.
Hy: Ya, animal cells don’t have chloroplasts.
Oxy: Ok, so there are some differences between plant and animal cells.
Cell wall, chloroplasts, what else?
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PLANT CELL – Part 4: Vacuole
Hy: Well animal cells have lots of small vacuoles but, as you can see,
(pointing) there is only ONE large vacuole in the plant cell.
Vacuole #1: In a plant cell I am big, REALLY big. I’m much larger than the
vacuoles in the animal cell. My primary purpose here is to hold water and
to help the cell wall hold the plant up! I can hold a great deal of water.
Which is good because we use it A LOT of it here in the plant cell.
Dro: You heard what the cell membrane was saying about us heading to
the vacuole, right? You know that plants need water, right?
Oxy: Yes, but I didn’t know plant cells were so cool. Thanks for the lesson
guys.
Vacoule: (Takes Hy and Dro)
Cell membrane and Cell Wall: (Rush back over to Oxy.)
Cell Membrane: Oxygen, it’s on the exit list.
Cell Wall: Good bye Oxy. Thanks for coming. ( “pushes” Oxy out of the
cell.)
END OF THE PLANT CELL PART
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ANIMAL CELL – Part 5: Cell Membrane
Oxy: Knock, knock!
Cell membrane: Who’s there?
Oxy: It’s Oxy, I’m an atom of oxygen. May I come in?
Cell membrane: Hold on a second let me check my list. (Checks through
the list on the clipboard.)
Cell membrane: Hmm….ah yes, Oxygen. You are on the list. Come right
on in. (motions for Oxy to come in) Animal cells need oxygen to live so
you’re always welcome here. Am I right to assume that this is
your…..FIRST visit?
Oxy: Yes it is. I was hoping to look around.
Cell membrane: Sure, I’ll give you a tour myself. I’ll even introduce you to
all the members of our animal cell team. It takes all of us working together
to keep this animal cell functioning.
Oxy: (Try to look at the cell membrane’s list) So who else is on that list?
Cell membrane: (Pulls the list away quickly) It’s VERY exclusive.
Oxy: So does that make me a VIP?
Cell membrane: Absolutely. We only want some materials, like food,
water, and oxygen to get in.
Oxy: Is that your only job, to control and regulate what enters the cell?
Cell Membrane: No, I also hold the cell material inside and regulate what
gets out too. I have to multitask, but it works.
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Oxy: You act as security and provide a sort of fence too? Both of those
jobs are important functions for the cell.
Cell membrane: (acts embarrassed ) Ah, gee, I’m really not THAT
important.
ANIMAL CELL – Part 6: Nucleus
Nucleus: (looking around)Organelles, organelles…(clapping hands)Let’s go,
let’s go. Get back to work. No slacking. I am checking our stats and we
are getting low….on EVERYTHING!!!! We need to go, go, go!!!!
Cell membrane: Well, there’s the boss. She is always telling us what to do!
Oxy: Wow, she is REALLY bossy! Why do you listen to her?
Cell Membrane: Because we have to.
Oxy: You do?
Cell Membrane: Ya, that’s the nucleus. She directs all the cell’s activities
and tells everyone what to do.
Oxy: What does she have that makes her so important?
Cell membrane: I guess it would be the chromosomes? They provide
instructions for all activities and the traits of the cell and the entire
organism. You know, the DNA, the blue print for life.
Nucleus: The DNA is very important. My DNA tells me what kind of cell we
are. We could be muscle, fat, blood, bone, or hundreds of other types of
cells.
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Oxy: Well, I guess if you’ve got the chromosomes, you’ve probably got the
main job.
Nucleus: I’m so important you could even say that all cellular activity would
stop if it weren’t for me!
Cell membrane: (Leans over to Oxy so Nucleus can’t hear.)
Even though all of that is true, in my opinion she is a little full of herself.
ANIMAL CELL – Part 7: Vacuoles
Nucleus: Excuse me? Oh never mind, I don’t have time for all this. I have
too much work to do! Vacuoles! Vacuoles!!!!!
Vacuole #1: Ya?
Vacuole #2: What do you want?
Vacuole #3: Yes, your majesty?
Oxy: What do they do?
Cell membrane: They deal with trash, food, and water. Basically, they’re
storage units.
Nucleus: Vacuoles, didn’t you notice that your trash units were full?????
We need to get those cleaned out.
Vacuole #1: Hey cell membrane, can you get this out of here for me?
Cell membrane: Let me check if it is on the exit list. Yup, no problem.
Vacuole #1: (Throws trash to the cell membrane)
Cell Membrane: (Tosses it out)It’s outta here.
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Vacuole #1: Thanks cell membrane.
Vacuole #2: But we don’t just hold trash. Some of us hold food or water.
Vacuole #3: We hold it until the cell needs more energy.
Nucleus: Paging all vacuoles, Paging all vacuoles, we are in need of more
energy. Send some food and water to the mitochondria ASAP!
Vacuole #2: Roger that Nucleus. Food on its way to the mitochondria.
(Throws food to mitochondria)
Vacuole #3: Water on its way to the mitochondria, too. (Throws water
bottles to mitochondria)
ANIMAL CELL – Part 8: Mitochondria
Nucleus: Mitochondria pay attention! Food and water headed your way.
Mitochondria: (Look around confused by the food and water they are now
holding. Then they put it in their bags and start bouncing around)
Oxy: Ok, so the vacuoles are the storage units for food, water, and trash.
Cell Membrane: They sure are.
Oxy: When I was at the plant cell there was only one really big vacuole
and it was mainly for water.
Cell Membrane: Ya, we are lucky in the animal cell. We have lots of
vacuoles to hold all our food, water, and trash.
Nucleus: Mitochondria, the organelles are running out of energy. We need
you to get them more energy!
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Mitochondria: (Move very quickly passing out energy drinks to the
organelles)
Mitochondira #1: (Bumps into Oxy while passing out energy)
Oxy: Umph….What was that?
Cell Membrane: Those were the mitochondria.
Oxy: The way they’re moving around here, they must have lots of energy.
Mitochondria: (speaking very quickly and loudly with lots of excitement
while bouncing and moving around – THE ENTIRE TIME)
Mitochondria #1: Yes, you’re right, we do release lots of energy.
Mitochondria #2: I am a Mi-to-chon-dri-a!
Mitochondria #3: There are always as least 10 of us….
Mitochondria #1: Or as many as several hundred of us in some animal
cells.
Mitochondria #2: Our function is…
Mitochondria #3: …to give the organelles in the cell…
Mitochondria #1: …the energy to carry out all their functions.
Nucleus: Mitochondria, get some of that energy to the ribosomes! We
need more protein and not all the ribosomes are responding!
Mitochondria: (Run to ribosomes and give them energy drinks)
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Oxy: Now who are the ribosomes?
Cell membrane: They make the proteins that our cell needs to function.
Nucleus: Mitochondria! Do I need to say it again?!?!! Get energy to those
ribosomes…..NOW!
Mitochondria #2: Nucleus, this is Mitochondria reporting back.
Mitochondria #3: We have given energy to every ribosome.
Nucleus: You better be sure, because if I have to come down there
myself….
Oxy: (puts her hand up by her mouth so Nucleus won’t hear her) Wow, she
is kind of a control freak.
Cell Membrane: You can say that again.
Oxy: Do these guys ever slow down enough to actually pay attention?
Cell Membrane: Rarely, (shaking head and rolling eyes) rarely.
Mitochondria #1: Nucleus, this is another Mitochondria and I can
guarantee that we have in fact given energy to every ribosome.
ANIMAL CELL – Part 9: Ribosomes and Lysosomes
Nucleus: Lysosomes, we have a code blue with the ribosomes. I repeat a
code Blue with the ribosomes.
Lysosomes: (Run to their assigned ribosome to check them out.)
Ribosomes: (speak robotically and push a protein paper out of their box)
Ribosome #1: Protein. Protein.
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Lysosome #1: All clear. This ribosome is producing proteins correctly.
Ribosome #2: Protein. Protein.
Lysosome #2: Good here too.
Ribosome #3: Prot…, Pro….,Pr…, P… “sputtering noise” (lay down on
table)
Lysosome #3: I need assistance! We have a ribosome not producing
proteins correctly!
Lysosome #1: (runs over to help Lysosome 3 with Ribosome 3)
Ribosome #4: Prn…, Prn…, Prn… “paper jamming noise” (lay down on
table)
Lysosome #4: We have another ribosome down over here!
Lysosome #2: (Runs over to help Lysosome 4 with Ribosome 4)
Lysosome #1: I am checking its vitals.
Lysosome #2: It doesn’t look good.
Lysosome #3: This one looks worn out.
Lysosome #4: This one seems to have a defect.
Lysosome #1: We’re beginning the break down process.
Lysosome #2: So are we.
Lysosome #3: Lysosomes, get your chemicals out.
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Lysosome #4: Got them, let’s get started.
Lysosomes: (Pretend to dump chemicals on the ribosomes)
Lysosome #1: Nucleus, this is the lysosomes.
Lysosome #3: One of those ribosomes was worn out.
Lysosome #4: The other ribosome had a defect.
Lysosome #2: We broke them down using our chemicals.
Lysosome #1: You’re going to have to call someone to get rid of the trash.
Nucleus: I don’t have time right now. Vacuoles, I need you to store some
trash for me. I will deal with it later.
Lysosomes: (Walk the “dead” ribosomes to the vacuoles)
Oxy: Oh, how sad. Who was that?
Cell Membrane: Those were two ribosomes. When they function properly
they produce proteins for the cell.
Oxy: And who were the ones with the chemicals?
Cell Membrane: Those were the Lysosomes.
Lysosome #1: We contain chemicals that we use to help us do our jobs.
Lysosome #2: We actually have two different jobs to do around here.
Mitochondria #1: (Quietly and secretly trying to escape the cell)
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Lysosome #3: We can break down worn out or defective organelles, like
you just saw us do.
Lysosome #4: And we can also break down large food particles.
ANIMAL CELL – Part 10: Cytoplasm
Warning signal: (spoken in a robotic tone, turn lights off and on)BEEP,
BEEP, BEEP, WARNING, WARNING, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, WARNING.
Potential escape in progress.
Nucleus: If my controls are correct we have a mitochondria trying to
escape. Cytoplasm! Cell Membrane! Stop them!
Cell Membrane: Oh no. I wasn’t paying attention and now someone is
trying to escape! Cytoplasm help me out. (mean sounding voice) Hold
them back! Hold them BACK!!!! (rush over to the mitochondria)
Cytoplasm: (Does the jiggly jello dance and tries to get in the way of the
mitochondria)
Cell Membrane: (voice sounds mean and stern) No, no, no, absolutely not!
You are NOT on the exit list. You are NOT supposed to leave! Get back in
there.
Mitochondria #1: (Goes back to its place.)
Cell Membrane: Nucleus, crisis averted.
Oxy: Wow, look at you. All important and powerful.
Cell Membrane: Well, that was too close a call. I need to pay more
attention.
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Oxy: You were actually a little scary. Gosh, I’d hate to be someone trying
to escape here.
Cell Membrane: I do what I have to do. It is my job, you know, to keep
things in that aren’t on the exit list?!?!?
Oxy: Oh I am so sorry I should…probably… get going.
Cell Membrane: So soon??????
Oxy: Well maybe there is time for one more question?
Cell Membrane: Sure!
Oxy: What’s this colorless, jelly-like substance that fills the cell?
Cell membrane: Yeah, that’s the cytoplasm.
Cytoplasm: (Stands and jiggles each time it says a line)
Cytoplasm #1: We surround the organelles and fill up the cell.
Cytoplasm #2: Kind of like a thick soup….
Cytoplasm #3: ….with all the parts of the cell floating in it.
Cytoplasm #4: We’re held in by the cell membrane.
Cytoplasm #1: We’re mostly made up of water,…
Cytoplasm #2: …but we have other stuff in us too.
Cytoplasm #3: We support all the parts of the cell.
Cytoplasm #4: We’re part of the team effort.
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Cytoplasm #1: We keep everyone in place.
Oxy: Ok, well thanks for the awesome tour of the animal cell. Can you let
me out now?
Cell membrane: Umm…, well,….Let me see if you are on my exit list.
Oxy: What?
Cell Membrane: Nucleus, get the vacuoles ready.
Nucleus: (Motions for the vacuoles to go to the cell membrane.)
Cell Membrane: Oxygen is on my entrance list but not my exit list. You
see…this is an animal cell and we NEED OXYGEN to survive. I am sorry,
Oxy, but I can’t let you go.
Vacuoles: (“Grab” Oxy)
Oxy: No, wait, no, no, no….
THE END
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