- 1). Cut the polystyrene in half with a knife. Use a half-sphere for an animal cell or a half-hexagon for a plant cell. The exposed surface represents the cytoplasm, which is a viscous substance that holds other organelle in place.
- 2). Spread a thin layer of uncolored clay around the outer surface of the polystyrene shape. This represents the cell membrane, also called the plasma membrane. Its primary function is to separate the interior cell from the exterior environment.
- 3). Kneed 3 drops of yellow food coloring into enough clay to make a 1/2 inch diameter sphere. Work the clay until its color is uniform. Add additional food coloring as needed until the coloring is distinct. Roll the clay into a sphere and set it aside. This sphere will represent the nucleolus, which is where ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is transcribed.
- 4). Take enough clay to make a 1 1/2 inch diameter sphere and kneed 5 drops of orange food coloring into it. Continue working the clay and adding additional dye until it has a uniform and distinct color. Flatten the clay out into a circle with the palms of your hand. Wrap the sheet of clay around the nucleolus and smooth it with your fingers until it completely and evenly covers that organelle. The orange clay represents the nucleoplasm, which surrounds the nucleolus and contains the various parts of the nucleus, including chromatin, which itself contains DNA.
- 5). Kneed 3 drops of yellow food coloring into a small portion of clay. Work the clay until you obtain uniform coloring. Add additional coloring as needed to obtain an appearance that is distinct from the nucleolus. Flatten out this clay and thinly wrap it around the nucleoplasm. Use your fingers to smooth out the seams until they disappear. Use a toothpick to poke evenly spaced holes through this layer and down into the nucleoplasm. This is the nuclear envelope, also called the nuclear membrane, which separates the nucleus from the rest of the cell. The nuclear pores in the envelope allow for the transportation of proteins and RNA.
- 6). Dig out an indentation in the exposed surface of the polystyrene foam using a spoon. Make the indentation off-center and big enough to fit the nuclear sphere. Insert the sphere and press firmly enough to secure it in place. If the sphere will not stay in place, insert toothpick through it at a 45 degree angle to the cytoplasm surface and into the polystyrene below it. Use a knife to cut a quarter-sphere out of the nuclear sphere to expose the nucleoplasm and nucleolus within.
- 7). Kneed 5 drops of green food coloring into a fist-sized portion of clay. Continue to work the clay until it has a uniform and distinct color. Take a separate portion of clay, about an eighth of the size, and work in red food dye. Separate the green clay into two unequal portions. Roll the smaller portion into a thin rope and set it aside. Roll the larger portion into several short ropes. Connect these ropes together with little bits of red clay in between them. The pure green rope represents the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, while the green rope with red dots represents the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The red dots themselves are the ribosome. Start at the nucleus and zig-zag the rough reticulum around the nucleus, creating at least two or three circles. Break up the smooth reticulum into several smaller pieces and position these around the rough reticulum in bands.
- 8). Take a small sphere of clay, around 2 inches in diameter, and work blue dye into it. Once the color is uniform, roll it into a giant jelly-bean shape and cut it in half using the knife. Flatten each half until the resulting shape is about an inch and a half to two inches long. Take two portions of clay, each about ¼ the original amount, and work yellow dye into them. Role these into thin long ropes and then fold them back and forth onto each other. Place each onto one of the blue shapes and press firmly enough to join the two clay parts. Attach the final products to the exposed surface of the polystyrene, away from the nucleus. Use toothpicks pressed through the clay and into the polystyrene to secure them, if necessary. These are the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, which make life as we know it possible.
- 9). Mix an equal amount of red and blue dye in a small amount of clay to produce several purple blobs. Flatten one side of these by pressing them against a flat surface. Attach them randomly to the exposed surface of the polystyrene using toothpicks, avoiding any other organelle. These are vacuole, tiny sacks that form around other materials, such as waste or toxic elements, and transport them around the cell and out of it.
- 10
Take a 1 inch sphere of clay and mix a small amount of red food coloring into it until it has a pink color. Roll the clay into thin ropes and fold it back and forth upon itself until you form a pyramid shape. Lay this flat on the exposed surface of the polystyrene and secure it with toothpicks. This is the golgi apparatus, sometimes called golgi complex, which packages proteins for transportation throughout the cell and body. - 1). Kneed red food coloring into a 1 inch sphere of clay until it has a uniform and vibrant color. Separate this clay into two or three small balls. Flatten one side of each by pressing them against a flat surface. Attach each to the cytoplasm by pressing toothpicks through them and down into the polystyrene. These represent the lysosome, which break down waste in the cell. These organelle are only found in animals.
- 2). Cut several toothpicks into thirds using the knife. Carefully insert these directly into the exposed polystyrene surface. Insert three in a straight line and then insert another three, also in a straight line, but at a slightly different angle and beginning under the last toothpick of the first line. Repeat this until you have a small star-like circle, ideally consisting of nine rows of toothpicks. This represents the centriole, which aids in cellular division and defines the spatial positioning of other organelle. This is generally only found in animals.
- 3). Mix green food coloring into a 2 inch sphere of clay. Separate this clay into several round balls, and attach these all over the cell using toothpicks. These represent chloroplast, which are plant-only organelle that capture sunlight and turn it into fuel that cells can use.
- 4). Mix green food coloring into a large amount of clay. Once the clay has been worked to a uniform color, apply a thin layer of this around the cell membrane, avoiding the cytoplasm. This represents the cell wall, a structure which only plants have. It offers them additional protection and gives these cells a rigid structure.