Download Flow of Matter Model Checklist

Name: ___________________________________________
Date: _________________
Checklist for Explanatory Model of the Flow of Matter from Food Cells to Our Cells
Scientists use explanatory models in order to be able to connect a series of ideas to explain how a natural
phenomenon might work. Their explanation includes the available evidence and existing scientific knowledge
up to that time. A model can then be tested and revised, if necessary, as new information is gained.
In this model you will concentrate on telling a story of the flow of matter from our food cells to a typical human
animal cell. A story flows from a beginning, a middle, and an end. This story will be mostly a picture book
story supported by words when necessary to help explain your point. The objective of this exercise is to help
you to learn the structure and composition of the many different types of cells found in living organisms and
how they are all related through the types of building blocks that compose their cellular structures. In addition,
this will help you to understand how your own cells (or any other organism that digests food for matter) use
these important building blocks.
This type of story is called an explanatory model, where you explain how you think a natural phenomenon
works through an evidence-based explanation (or story). Your evidence, in this instance, is the information
from your observations, measurements, and reliable resources from class, your labs and your text.
OK, so let’s get started! Here is a checklist of the following terms and concepts that you should include in your
story of how matter flows from our food cells to your own cells.
From Your Food:
 Menu is provided (0.5 points)
 Menu item ingredients are categorized into plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and/or protists (1 point)
 One drawing of a representative cell and its structures from a plant, animal, and bacterium (6 points)
(Add in a correctly labeled fungal or protist cell for a bonus 2 points)
o Each cell drawing and its structures are appropriately labeled
o The following cellular structures include (if present):
cell wall
Golgi body
cytoskeleton
extracellular matrix
Vacuoles
cilia
plasma membrane
Lysosomes
flagella
nucleus
plastids
nucleoid region
ribosomes
(chloroplasts,
capsule
rough and smooth
amyloplasts,
pili
endoplasmic
chromoplasts)
reticulum
mitochondria
o In each cell type, each of the following molecules is labeled where it can be found in at least one
cellular structure. These include (if present):
protein
glycogen
DNA
cellulose
phospholipids
RNA
chitin (optional)
triglycerides
starch
cholesterol
 Bonus: One picture from your research that shows some cellular structures of a specific type of cell (1
point)
See other side for “To Your Cells” checklist…
To Your Cells:
 Arrows are used to show the direction of the flow of matter and the stages of food processing (1
point)
o Ingestion
o Digestion
o Absorption and Circulation
o Elimination
 A diagram (supported by explanation where appropriate) is used to illustrate digestion of food and
includes ideas of how the following work to break down the biological macromolecules to smaller
subunits (2 points):
o water
o temperature
o pH
o enzymes
 Diagram and explanation of digestion includes the following terms where appropriate (3 points):
o hydrogen bonds
o nucleotides
o covalent bonds
o glycerol
o hydrolysis
o fatty acids
o amino acids
o cellulose
o monosaccharides
 A drawing of a generic human animal cell is included (4.5 points)
o Its cellular structures are included and appropriately labeled (if present):
extracellular
rough and
vacuoles
matrix
smooth
mitochondria
plasma
endoplasmic
cytoskeleton
membrane
reticulum
cilia
nucleus
Golgi body
flagella
ribosomes
lysosomes
o Diagram and explanation of how small subunits are reassembled by dehydration reactions to
form biological molecules inside of your cells.
o Each of the following molecules is labeled where it can be found in at least one cellular
structure:
protein
triglycerides
RNA
glycogen
cholesterol
phospholipids
DNA
 Well thought-out and expressed ideas of WHY your cells might need these molecules from our food
(2 points)
Score:
Comments:
/20 points
Bonus:
/3 points