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How to Make a 3-Dimensional Model of a Plant Cell

Constructing a 3-D model of a plant or an animal cell is an informative project often assigned to middle-school aged children in science class. Constructing a cell is a straightforward process once you understand the parts of the cell and how they relate to one another. One of the most vital parts of a plant cell is the cytosol, or viscous liquid that suspends each organelle in the cell. There are a few different materials you can use for cytosol; however, for a more authentic look, use a thick hair gel or lime gelatin to suspend your organelles.

Things You'll Need

Clear 9-by-13 inch cake pan
Red plastic wrap
Quart-size zipper food storage bag
Blue food coloring
Green hair gel
Styrofoam ball 3 inches in diameter
Craft glue
Bowl
Yarn
Seed beads
String
Green modeling clay

Instructions

- 1
  Line the inside of a clear 9-by-13-inch cake pan with the red plastic wrap. The cake pan is the cell wall and the plastic wrap is the cell membrane.
- 2
  Fill a quart-size zip top bag with water and drop three to five drops of blue food coloring in the water to tint it. This is the vacuole; it stores nutrients and waste while helping the cell to grow. Place the quart-size bag inside the cake pan, offset toward the left of the pan.
- 3
  Open the hair gel and squirt about half the contents into the cake pan. Stop when the gel is about half the height of the cake pan.
- 4
  Wrap the Styrofoam ball with a piece of the red plastic wrap. Place the wrapped ball in the cake pan toward the right side of the pan. This is the nucleus and the plastic wrap is the nuclear membrane.
- 5
  Mix one part water with one part craft glue in a bowl. Cut two pieces of yarn about 1.5 feet long. Run the yarn through the glue mixture and roll in the seed beads. Set aside to dry.
- 6
  Cut a piece of string that is about 6 feet long. Begin at one corner and lay the string in the hair gel around the edges of the cake pan. Continue layering the string around the pan until you reach the end of the string. This is the cytoskeleton, and it helps to keep the shape of the plant cell.
- 7
  Roll out a long snake of green modeling clay. Pinch the snake into sections about 2 inches long each. Smooth the rough, pinched edges to make long oval shapes. Insert four of these around the vacuole between it and the edge of the cake pan. These represent the chloroplasts, and they are responsible for making plants green.
- 8
  Pick up the pieces of yarn with the seed beads and put one end of each piece against the nucleus, one towards the top and the other towards the bottom. Then layer the yarn in a zigzag pattern that curves around part of the nucleus. These are the rough endoplasmic reticulum that transport proteins throughout the cell.
- 9
  Cut a length of yarn about 1.5 feet long. Place in the cake pan above the nucleus and zigzag the yarn back and forth. This represents the smooth endoplasmic reticulum that produces hormones and enzymes.
- 10
  Add additional pieces if needed. Use kidney beans for the mitochondria, elbow pasta for centrosomes and peas for the secretory vesicles.
- 11
  Cover all the cell parts with an additional layer of hair gel so the pieces seem suspended within the cell.

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