Project #1
“My Journey Into A Cell”
By: Avery Owen
I have shrunken to microscopic size, and am now floating around in an animal cell.
While I’m in the cell, I start to pass by the Nucleus. I remember that the Nucleus
controls all of the cells’ activities, and it also contains DNA. It’s the control center, kind
of like the brain that controls the body.
Now I have passed the Nucleus, and am now approaching the Endoplasmic Reticulum.
It is a small network of tubes that move substances along. It’s a transportation center,
like the large intestine in a body.
I am now seeing the Ribosomes everywhere. The Ribosomes are small, round
structures that make proteins for things inside the cell. They are protein factories, like
meat that you eat, which gives you protein.
All of the little
blue dots
I now see some of the Lysosomes around me. They are structures that break down
nutrients and old cell parts. It’s the clean up crew, kind of like a maid that cleans up
houses.
I just saw the Mitochondria. The Mitochondria makes and releases chemical energy
for the cell, also known as “ATP”. It is the powerhouse, similar to the engine to a car.
The Cytoplasm has been all around me. It is a gel-like fluid that fills the cell. It’s snot,
like water in a water balloon.
All of the light
blue around
the cell.
I can now see the animal Vacuole a couple of yards away. The Vacuole stores
substances cells need to survive. It’s big in plant cells, and smaller in animal cells. It is
a storage tank, similar to a water tower.
Here comes the Golgi Bodies. It receives materials, packages them and sends them in
and out of the cell. It is a post office, similar to a UPS truck.
I am finishing my journey passing through the Cell Membrane. It is a thin structure
that surrounds and protects the cell. It is a doorway in and out of the cell, like the
door to a house.
My organelle for the
showcase is the Lysosome!
The word "Lysosome"
comes from two Greek
words. One, "Lysis"
meaning destruction and
two, "Soma" meaning
body. The inside of a
Lysosome is strongly
acidic. There are many
diseases that are related
to the malfunctioning of
Lysosomes. These are
some interesting facts
about my organelle, the
Lysosomes!