CELL ANALOGY:
AIRPORT
By: Joe Behrmann and Isaac Thompson
MITOCHONDRIA
• Location: The Mitochondria of a cell is located in both plant and animal
cells. They are found floating throughout the cell.
• Function: The function of the mitochondria is to supply energy for the cell.
They are known as the “powerhouses”.
• Analogy: We would consider the energy room the “mitochondria” of the
airport, because the energy room would use natural resources such as coal,
wind power, hydroelectric power etc. to supply energy for the airport.
RIBOSOMES
• Location: The ribosomes in cells are located in both plant and animal cells.
They can be located either attached to the Endoplasmic Reticulum, or
floating in the cytoplasm.
• Function: The function of the ribosomes in a cell is to build proteins, as well as
structure them. Also, they catalyze the synthesis of the cells proteins.
• Analogy: We would classify the ribosomes of the cell as the restaurants that
are within the airport, because the “protein” of the cell, would be the
humans. Therefore, the food that the humans eat would build them up.
NUCLEUS
• Location: The nucleus of the cell can be found in both plants and animals. It
is not always located in the center of the cell, for it could be somewhere
within the cytoplasm
• Function: The nucleus of the cell contains all of the DNA that the cell has,
and determines what type of cell it will become.
• Analogy: We would consider the nucleus of the cell to be the head office of
the airport, because the head office would determine what type of airport it
is, the functions of the airport, and who the airport is ran by.
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
• Location: The ER is between the nucleus and the Golgi apparatus and is in
both plant and animal cells.
• Function: The function of the ER is to transport proteins to the Golgi
apparatus and to fold proteins into cisternae.
• Analogy: The ER is considered an airplane in this analogy because the
endoplasmic reticulum transports the proteins, in which in this analogy are
the humans.
GOLGI APPARATUS
• Location: The Golgi Apparatus is located next to the Endoplasmic Reticulum
and near the nucleus in the cytoplasm. This organelle is found in both animal
and plant cells.
• Function: The main function of the Golgi apparatus is to sort out the proteins
and package them to ready them for secretion. The Golgi also creates
lysosomes and helps transport lipids.
• Analogy: In this analogy, the Golgi would serve as the airline gate because
that is where the humans, or “proteins” are packaged or gathered into the
airplane.
CENTRIOLES
• Location: The centriole is found at either ends of a cell that are dividing. This
organelle is only found in only animal cells.
• Function: The function of centrioles is mainly to help separate cells during
mitosis, but also helps with cellular organization, and animal development.
• Analogy: In this analogy the centrioles would serve as the runway, because
the runway separates the airplane from the airport( division). It is the same
with cells, the centrioles divide the cell into different parts.
CHROMOSOMES
• Location: They are structures located in the nucleus of both plant and
animal cells.
• Function: The chromosomes in a cell are what make the cell grow and
reproduce. They contain the DNA of the cell, and are designed to make
cells thrive and stay alive.
• Analogy: We would the chromosomes in our analogy to be the type of
friendly customer service, and affordable sales that occur during airport
transactions. This is because the reputation of the sales and how well
developed the airport will give it more sales, and allow the airport to grow
and form a chain.
CELL MEMBRANE
• Location: The cell membrane surrounds the whole entire cell, and floats
around the cytoplasm fluidly. This organelle is present in both animal and
plant cells.
• Function: The function of the cell membrane is to let good things go into the
cell, keep bad things out, and prevent some necessary things in the cell from
leaving. They are “selectively permeable” which means they allow certain
things in and out.
• Analogy: In this analogy the cell membrane would be the airport security
because the airport security doesn’t let dangerous things into the airport,
however it does let harmless things pass.
LYSOSOME
• Location: Lysosomes are scattered throughout the cell, and are only found in
animal cells.
• Function: Lysosomes digest ingested materials and worn out organelles and
also kill dangerous things that get into its cell. Lysosomes can also fuse with
vesicles formed by endocytosis, digesting the food particles within.
• Analogy: The lysosomes would be the airport police in this analogy because
they both kill or get rid of bad things that get into the airport o cell.
CYTOPLASM
• Location: The cytoplasm in located within the cell membrane, but not the
nucleus. It is found in plant and animal cells.
• Function: It gives the cell its shape (cytoskeleton), and keeps the cell inflated
and prevents it from deflation. It is called the cellular material, and includes
the cytosol and other organelles.
• Analogy: The cytoplasm of an airport would be considered the infrastructure
of an airport that keep it running such as the elevators, escalators, plumbing,
shops, architecture, and walls, because these things make up the internal
parts of the cell and create the design of the airport.
CHLOROPLASTS
• Location: Chloroplasts can be found anywhere within the cytoplasm of plant
cells.
• Function: The chloroplasts in a plant cell absorbs sunlight to produce ATP and
NADPH needed for photosynthesis.
• Analogy: The chloroplast in this analogy would serve as the solar panels of
our airport because they capture, and then convert and provide energy for
their cell or airport.
CYTOSKELETON
• Location: The cytoskeleton is located throughout both plant and animal cells
as it is a series of intercellular proteins made up of microfilaments,
intermediate filaments, and microtubules.
• Function: The cytoskeleton determines the shape of cells, and provides an
important structural framework for cell movement, organelle movement,
and cell division.
• Analogy: In this analogy the cytoskeleton would be considered the janitors
or builders of the airport because they determine how the airport is looking in
the interior, and the shape of the airport.
VACUOLE
• Location: There are numerous vacuoles located throughout the cytoplasm
of plant and animal cells.
• Function: Vacuoles provide structural support, storage, waste disposal,
growth, and protection.
• Analogy: In this analogy, the vacuole would be classified as the airport jail
because both store bad things that have gotten into the cell or airport and
help protect the rest of the cell from these negative things. It could also be
trash cans, because they dispose of wastes.
CELL WALL
• Location: The cell wall surrounds the entire cell, including the cell membrane,
but is only in plant cells.
• Function: The cell wall protects plant cells, provides some structural support,
protection, but also works as a pressure vessel in that it prevents the cell from
over expansion and going through lyses, or exploding.
• Analogy: In this analogy the cell wall would be classified as the high-tech
airport screeners because they both prevent their cell, or airport from
exploding. It could also be classified as the tough materials such as granite
and bricks because those materials hold up the airport.