It is extremely easy and fun to make a plant cell model, provided you have all the parts labeled and ready. In fact, you can make an edible plant cell as well, using a cake as the base.
In order to make a plant cell model, you will firstly need to understand the purpose and basic functions of the plant cell. All the parts of the plant cell are interrelated and crucial for carrying out the biochemical processes that assist in the healthy growth of plants. It consists of the cell wall and cell membrane that preserve all the organelles within it.
Table of Contents
Cell Wall
The cell wall as the name suggests is a wall that covers the cell membrane and holds all the other components of the cell within its boundaries, such as the ribosomes, nucleus, the nuclear membrane, the vacuoles, the cytoplasm and the mitochondria.
Chloroplast
The chloroplast is the food source of the plant as it contains chlorophyll, the green pigment that causes photosynthesis by trapping the sunlight and energy.
How to Make Edible Plant Cell Model
This is one of the most interesting ways to make a science projects by making a plant cell model that you can eat! If you are a parent or teacher eager to make children learn and enjoy biology then this is surely the right way forward.
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Kids love practical learning classes, where they can see and visualize what they are being taught. Here are the steps you need to follow while making this model. We also mention the special ingredients you’ll need to make your edible plant cell treat.
The Plant Cell
Take the help of a friend or your parents for baking a square shaped cake and a cupcake. It could be any cake as long as you enjoy its taste. Once the cakes are baked, let them cool.
Cell Wall
Cover the sides of the square shaped cake with wafers or biscuits or toast. Ensure that the height of each piece is a little more than that of the cake so it looks like a wall around your cake.
Cytoplasm and Cell Membrane
Prepare a light green colored frosting and spread it onto the upper surface of the cake. Cover the surface entirely. Prepare a dark green frosting and pipe it along the boundary of the cake. This square border of dark green frosting becomes your cell membrane and the light green frosting is your cytoplasm.
Chloroplast
Place 3-4 green jelly beans evenly over the cytoplasm to indicate chloroplasts.
Vacuoles
Take a large white marshmallow and cut out a circular slice in a way that it resembles the large vacuole. Place this slice in one corner of the cake. If you do not have a large marshmallow, arrange small white marshmallows in a circle.
Nucleus
Frost the cupcake entirely using a chocolate frosting and place it on the cake as nucleus of the cell.
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Mitochondria
Place some orange or lime candy fruit slices evenly on the cake to represent the mitochondria.
Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi apparatus
Use sugar coated candy belts of different colors for these organelles. Place some candy belts attached to the nucleus to resemble ER. Place candy belts of a different color into the cytoplasm to show the Golgi apparatus.
Ribosomes
You can attach tiny yellow or orange sugar balls onto the candy belt ER and spread some onto the creamy cytoplasm to denote ribosomes.
Toothpicks and Name Flags
Your edible plant cell is almost done, all you need to do now is mark the cell parts with toothpicks. Make small flags and write the names of the organelles and glue them to the toothpick head.
Making a Plant Cell Using a Shoe Box
You can make a much simpler model by taking simple household items to represent the different parts. These are much easier to make, all you need is a cardboard box, cotton and some yarn.
The Plant Cell
Take a shoe box and color it green or simply cover it up with green paper (from inside and outside).
Cell Wall
The sides of the box itself resemble the cell wall.
Cell Membrane
Take some dark green clay and roll it into long rope. Place it on the base of the box along the seam and prepare a boundary.
Cytoplasm
Fill up the space within this boundary with cotton to denote the cytoplasm.
Chloroplast
Using green clay, model out flat oval discs and attach green beads or buttons onto it. Place these clay chloroplasts evenly on the cotton base.
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Vacuoles
Roll up a cotton ball about the size of an egg and spray it with some light yellow paint. Place it in one corner of the base but within the clay cell membrane.
Nucleus
Take some newspaper or any regular paper, dip it in water and roll it up tightly into a ball. Let it dry. Now, paint it black and allow the paint to dry. Place this ball in the box as the nucleus of your cell.
Mitochondria
Model out 3-4 oval-shaped balls using yellow or orange clay and place them throughout the cotton cytoplasm to resemble mitochondria.
Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi apparatus
Use some thick black yarn and place it attached to the nucleus to signify ER and place some in the cotton cytoplasm to denote Golgi apparatus.
Ribosomes
You can add tiny yellow clay balls onto the ER and onto the cotton cytoplasm to show ribosomes.
Toothpicks and name flags
Label your cell using toothpicks and name flags.
Learning to make plant cell models is the best way to learn and enjoy biology as well as to perform well in school science fair projects. Hopefully, the aforementioned methods will assist you when it’s time for you to make one for your class assignment. As for the teachers, they may use these to show the class how the plant structure looks and how to go about making them at home.
Source: https://biologywise.com/how-to-make-plant-cell-model
