Name _____________________________________________________________
Structure of the
Cell
B2 Workbook
Source: Clipart ETC, Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF
To complete this set of assignments and, move on to
the next set of assignments, you must:
 Select and complete two (2) assignments.
Assignment
Completed
Complete Cell City Project
Complete Comparing the Cell to a Factory
Complete Travel Brochure for a Cell
Complete What is Cell Theory?
Complete Cell Organelle Reference Book
 Successfully complete the unit assessment with
a minimum proficiency level of 3.
Cell-City Project
Materials
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Paper
Colored Pencils
Construction paper
Glue
Science textbook
Purpose
In this activity, you will compare cell organelles and functions to those of a working city.
Safety Concerns: None
Procedure
Floating around in the cytoplasm are small structures called organelles. Each one carries
out a specific function necessary for the cell to survive. Imagine the cell as a miniature
city. The organelles represent companies, places or parts of the city because they each
have similar jobs. Below are the descriptions of important parts of the Cell City.
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City Limits - control what goes in and out of the city.
Road System - Allows for movement throughout the city.
City Hall - Controls all the activities of the city.
City Auditor - Stores all the records of the city and passes them on as the city
grows.
City Planning Office - A place in the city hall where plans are made for the
construction of the city.
Construction Company - Builds structures for the city.
Delivery Van - delivers products made at the construction company to other
locations in the city.
Food Processing Plant - Processes large quantities of food entering the city into
smaller packages that can be used more easily.
Warehouse - Stores materials needed by the city.
Power Company - Produces energy for the city.
Solar Power Plant – Uses the sun’s energy to produce power for the city.
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As you move through your worksheet, see if you can match the important parts of the
city listed above to the specific organelles found in cells. Be sure to write neatly, and
in complete sentences.
ONLY after you have completed the worksheets, get an 11” x 17”, and sketch, color (only
use colored pencils), and label a city. Each part of the city will be labeled with its name
and the name of the cell organelle that has a similar function. On your drawing, identify
what each part of your city is and which organelle it represents.
Cell City Project Worksheets
1. The nucleus is a large, round/oval structure usually located near the center of the
cell. It is the control center for all the activities of the cell.
i) What company or place does the nucleus resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
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2. The cell membrane is a thin, flexible envelope that surrounds the cell. It allows the
cell to change shape and controls what goes into and out of the cell.
i) What company or place does the cell membrane resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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3. The endoplasmic reticulum consists of a network of tube-like passageways that
proteins from the ribosomes are transported through.
i) What company or place does the endoplasmic reticulum resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. The ribosomes are small grain-like bodies made mostly of RNA and produced in the
nucleolus. Proteins are constructed at the ribosomes.
i) What company or place do the ribosomes resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. The nucleolus is a small, dense object fond in the middle of the nucleus. It makes the
RNA for the cell.
i) What company or place does the nucleolus resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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6. The jelly-like area between the nucleus and the cell membrane is called the cytoplasm.
It helps organelles move throughout the cell.
i) What company or place does the cytoplasm represent in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
7. The mitochondria are tiny bean-shaped structures in the cytoplasm with a smooth
outer membrane, and a greatly folded inner membrane. They supply the energy for the
cell by transforming sugars into energy.
i) What company or place do the mitochondria resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
8. The chromosomes are rod-shaped bodies found in the nucleus. They are made of DNA
and protein. They contain all the information to run the cell. They also pass on the
hereditary traits of the cell to new cells.
i) What company or place do the chromosomes resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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9. The chloroplast is an oval, green structure found in the cytoplasm. It contains
chlorophyll. It captures the sun’s energy and uses it to produce sugars in a process
called photosynthesis.
i) What company or place do the chloroplasts resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
10. The lysosomes are small round structures found in the cytoplasm. They contain
digestive enzymes that break down large food particles in to sugars and other simple
substances.
i) What company or place do the lysosomes resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
11. The vacuole is a large, round sac found in the cytoplasm. It stores water, food,
wastes, or other materials needed by the cell.
i) What company or place does the vacuole resemble in a Cell City?
_____________________________________________________________
ii) Why do you think so?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Comparing the Cell to a Factory
(modified from A Busy Factory, http://www.beyondbooks.com/lif71/4a.asp)
Imagine a busy factory making the latest must-have toy. Whether they make bicycles,
cell phones, or hot air balloons, most factories are set up the same way.
All factories have outside walls that protect and support them and inside walls that
create different work areas. They usually have a production line where a product is put
together and an executive department that decides what product is made. A finishing
department processes and prepares the product for shipping, and a packaging
department wraps the product.
In addition, a factory has a receiving department that brings in the parts it needs to
make its product, a communications department that allows it to contact suppliers, and a
power plant that provides the energy it needs to run. Finally, a custodial staff keeps
everything clean and in good working order.
Cells are similar to factories. To stay alive and function properly, cells have a division of
labor similar to that found in factories.
All eukaryotic cells are composed of a plasma membrane, a nucleus, and cytoplasm. These
structures can be compared with a factory's departments.
The Plasma Membrane
What if you needed to find a job in the factory? What could you do? If you do not have
any manufacturing skills, and you are not management material, you would probably be
placed in an entry-level position.
Perhaps you'd be assigned to the warehouse. Here, you would be responsible for shipping
and receiving. A factory requires a constant supply of raw materials, as well as a way to
send out the finished product. This department is usually located along an outside wall
of the factory. Working here, you would be one of the factory's contacts with the
outside world.
You might take a job as a receptionist and sit at a desk near the front door of the
factory. A phone would allow you to contact anyone else in the building. Also, all incoming
and outgoing calls would go through you. As a receptionist, you may speak for the
factory and allow it to communicate with other people and businesses.
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Maybe you wouldn't want to lift heavy crates in the warehouse or answer phones.
Another possibility might be to take a job with the security department. Security
personnel are posted at every entrance to the building. You would be responsible for
checking ID cards and admitting only those individuals who belong in the factory.
Mail, reception, and security are separate departments in a real factory. But in a cell,
these jobs are all performed by the plasma membrane.
The Nucleus
In a factory, the chief executive officer controls everything that happens. What would
it be like to have this job in a cell factory?
You would have your own office (which would be nice) but you would also have many
responsibilities. You would need to keep track of all the blueprints kept in your office.
And you would tell the workers which products to build and when to build them.
The cell factory contains a large inventory of blueprints dating all the way to its
founding. Some of these blueprints are out of date, and some are for parts and products
that are no longer made. Part of your job would entail sorting through everything,
finding the correct blueprints, copying them, and sending the copies out to the assembly
line at the correct time.
When the factory gets too large, it is difficult to run properly; thus, another factory
must be built. To prepare for this, you have to provide the new factory with its own set
of all the blueprints.
Sounds a bit daunting? Now you may have a better appreciation for what the
nucleus does in the cell.
The Cytoplasm
The real work of the cell occurs in the cytoplasm, the cell's "factory floor." The
term "cytoplasm" refers to everything between the cell membrane and the nuclear
membrane. It consists mostly of water, salts, some proteins, and many small structures
called organelles (or little organs).
These structures perform several different functions for the cell which generally fall
under the categories of production, maintenance, and energy transformation. This tour
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of the cell includes several stops on the "factory floor." Let's start with the production
team.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum
In a factory, the assembly of parts takes place on the factory floor. The highly skilled
craftspeople who assemble these components sit hour after hour at their stations,
plugging away at their work. These workers are highly paid because they can read plans
and use that information to make different kinds of products. Each one of them has his
or her own work area, surrounded by tools. These workers do not create the product
designs; rather, they read the plans sent from the executive department.
The cell has its own assembly line and workers. Within the cytoplasm is a series of large,
flattened membranes that fold back and forth on each other and have a very large
surface area. This collection of membranes is called the ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM, or ER – the cell’s assembly line.
The ER stretches from the nuclear membrane to the plasma membrane. It serves as a
pathway through the cytoplasm, as a support structure for the attachment of other
organelles, and as a workstation for the ribosomes. The ER can be divided into two
parts: the rough ER and the smooth ER.
The rough ER has ribosomes attached to it and provides a surface along which the
process of protein assembly can occur. The smooth ER does not have ribosomes and is
much more tubular in appearance. In some human cells, the smooth ER produces
steroids; in others it regulates calcium levels. In a process that scientists still don't
understand, the rough ER manufactures the membranes of the smooth ER.
The Ribosomes
Ribosomes, the factory workers that build proteins, are manufactured by the
nucleolus. They consist of two separate subunits: a large, lower subunit and a small,
upper subunit. Ribosomes attach to the rough ER. Now let's take a look at how final
processing occurs.
The Golgi Body
What happens to all the products that are built on the assembly line of a factory? The
final touches are put on them in the finishing and packing department.
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Workers in this part of the plant are responsible for making minor adjustments to the
finished products. They inspect the products for flaws; clean them of any extra
material added during their manufacture, wrap them, and target them for packing. The
Golgi apparatus performs all the finishing and packing in the cell.
Lysosomes and The Cytoskeleton
Any factory needs a good maintenance crew to keep everything orderly, to get rid of
the trash, and to take apart and throw away old machinery. The maintenance crew also
functions as a second line of defense. If someone gets past the security guard at the
front door, it is usually the maintenance crew who catches the trespassers and chases
them out. In a cell, the role of building maintenance crew is filled by the lysosomes.
Lysosomes
The word "lysosome" is Latin for "kill body." This is a very colorful description for some
of the most unusual organelles in the cell. LYSOSOMES are organelles produced by the
Golgi apparatus that contain powerful protein digesting enzymes.
Maintenance crews do not get the glory of chief executive officers, or even that of the
production worker, but they serve a very important purpose.
Without lysosomes, the cell would accumulate too much junk and would not be able to
function for very long.
Support Beams
There is another major department in a cell factory, although it usually isn't given a
department name in a regular factory. It's the walls, floors, and ceilings of a factory.
Within the cytoplasm of the cell are many protein fibers that act as support structures.
In a cell, the cytoskeleton supports the cell.
Mitochondria and Chloroplasts
Any factory needs power to operate. The power must be in a usable form. Most
factories have power plants in which generators burn fuel to produce heat. This heat
energy is used to make steam, which is then used to make electricity.
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Building proteins is the main function of cells. But for this to occur, a cell must have an
energy source, and that energy must be in a form that the cell can use. The
mitochondrion and the chloroplast are the two organelles responsible for energy
transformation (neither organelle truly produces energy). Like our factory's power
plant, mitochondria and chloroplasts transform one form of energy to another.
Comparing the Cell to a Factory Worksheet
Fill in the chart below while reading information given you in the handout.
• In the second column of the chart, write the name of the organelle that functions
most like the factory worker described in the first column.
• In the third column, write a brief description of the function of the organelle in
the cell.
Job in the Factory
Cell Organelle
Function of the
Organelle
Shipping/Receiving
Department
Chief Executive Officer
(CEO)
Factory Floor
Assembly Line (where
workers do their work)
Workers on the
Assembly Line
Finishing/Packaging
Department
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Maintenance Crew
Support Beams (walls,
ceilings, floors)
Power Plant (2 answers)
Travel Brochure for a Cell
For this assignment, you are required to produce a travel brochure that
describes a plant or animal cell as if it were a large exhibit/
amusement park. You must UaccuratelyU describe, draw (to the best of
your ability), and explain the following organelles (attractions) and their
functions.
For all Cells:
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Endoplasmic Reticulum
Golgi Body
Mitochondria
Vacuole
Cell Membrane
Cytoplasm
Ribosome
Nucleus
Lysosome
For Plant Cells, you must include:
 Chloroplast
 Cell Wall
Humor and creativity are strongly encouraged.
Your travel brochure should persuade visitors to take the next
exit and visit the "incredible!, amazing!, and unbelievable!" sights
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of an animal or plant cell. For example, visitors might want to "visit the ribosomes,
located just outside the nucleus, and watch as proteins are synthesized RIGHT BEFORE
YOUR VERY EYES!" Be creative with your descriptions, such as "be sure to visit the
Golgi center inside the gift shop, and have your purchases gift wrapped for you before
you leave."
What is Cell Theory?
Cell Theory is an important part of biology. Your assignment is to learn more about Cell
Theory.
Imagine that you work for the Unemployment Office or a “headhunter” agency as an
employment consultant. One of the scientists who contributed to modern cell theory is
out of work and needs some help writing his resume. It is your job to help him do this
so that he can find a job. (See a sample resume on page 14.)
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__________________________________________________________________
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My Cell Organelle Reference Booklet
Your assignment is to make a cell organelle reference booklet. Your booklet will consist
of the following:
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A front cover title “My Cell Organelle Reference Booklet.”
A blank back cover. This is where your name will go.
Using your Cell Table handout, you will make one page for each organelle. Each
page will include:
o A drawing of the organelle, colored with colored pencils. Use your text
and/or the Kids Discover Cells magazine for pictures of the organelles.
o A detailed description of what this organelle does in the cell.
o ALL OF THIS WILL BE DONE NEATLY. IF IT IS NOT DONE
NEATLY, IT WILL BE RETURNED TO BE REDONE.
When you are done, you will punch two holes along the side of your booklet and hold it
together by tying the pages together using yarn. (Make sure the yarn is not too tight.
If it is, you won’t be able to turn the pages.)
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Jimmi Carter
1823 Stackhouse Ln.
Akron, OH 44301
JimmiCarter@cvgreat.com
Home (817) 555-0021
Office (817) 555-9010
__________________
Objective
A tenure track position in a well estabilished sociology department, which will allow for adequate time and
funding to be directed toward research.
Summary of Achievements
Rhodes Scholar
1988 - 1990: Awarded two years of post-graduate study at Oxford University. Pursued the M.Phil in Social
Sciences.
Gene Landis Award for Outstanding Teaching
1995 & 1997: Selected by the student body of York College.
Experience
1999 - Present
Assistant Professor, Sociology - University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Taught such notable courses as "Intro to Sociology", "Sociology of Inequality", and "The McDonaldization of
Society".
1995 - 1998
Lecturer, York College, York, PA
Education
Ph.D, Sociology, 1994
Penn State University, State College, PA
Specialization: Global inequality, sociology of marriage
M.Phil, Social Sciences, 1990
Oxford College, Oxford, UK
B.A. Sociology, Literature 1988
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Selected Publications
"Building More Prisons: Retribution or Rehabilitation?", American Journal of Sociology. Worthington Press,
June 1995
"Big Mac Nation", published in The Globalization Reader. Bretton-Woods Press. August, 1997.
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