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Cell Analogy Exercise
Julianna Wind
AP Biology C/D blocks
Example - The nucleus is analogous to our school’s office, because it controls or
coordinates the rest of the school’s function.
My cell analogy is based on a car.
Nucleus – The nucleus is like the driver of the car, they make sure that every part of the
car is safe to drive and working properly.
Nucleolus – The people that work at jiffy lube are like the nucleolus because they
produce the ribosomes and make everything in the car work and be safe so that the
nucleus doesn’t have to.
Chromatin – Chromatin are like the headlights of the car, guiding you where to go so
you can see exactly what’s happening in front of your car.
Nuclear membrane - The nuclear pore of a cell is like a window of a car because it
encloses the nucleus. You can open up the windows and throw things out, and also let
the air come in.
Nuclear pore – Is what controls the nuclear membrane, it is the button that opens up the
windows or the crank.
Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm sort of, very generally, are the seats. It connects everything in
the car. This gunky stuff just holds everything in the cell together.
Central vacuole/Vacuole – The central vacuole is the bottom of the car. There is all that
great stuff in bottom of the car, enginey-wirey type stuff that people always seem to be
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working on while laying on a scooter. It does things that keep the car moving or keep
the cell alive.
Ribosomes – The ribosomes are the ignition of the car. This is where you put the car in
gear and gets things going. It makes protiens and is free in the cytoplasm. It seems to
just be in the middle of the seats, to change gears.
Proteins - The exhaust that comes out of those holes in the car. Protiens are made from
the ignition and it pollutes the earth around the car.
Endoplasmic reticulum - Endoplasmic reticulum is like the hood of the car, it’s where
all the important stuff happens, there are smooth and rough ER’s, like car coils and
stuff. I don’t know what’s under the hood, and really, that’s not that important to me.
I’m a lady, I don’t need to know what’s underneath the hood.
Golgi apparatus - The golgi apparatus is the gas tank that goes into the gas and brake
pedals. It is active in everything the cell does including secretion, synthesis and sorting
of the cell. The car creates energy to move- the same with the Golgi apparatus
Vessel - The vessels are the mirrors of the car. It makes everything a little safer.
Lysosomes - Lysosomes are the digestive organelle where macromolecules are made.
This isn’t anything like in a car… The backseat where babies are made?
Mitochondria – The mitochondria is like the windshield of the car. This is pretty much
where everything important happens. You can drive a car all you want, but if you can’t
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see through the windshield, you can’t get very far. The mitochondria are the same,
cellular respiration occurs here and ATP is usually generated.
Chloroplast - Chloroplast is like windshield wiper fluid. It keeps everything in the car
clean and visible. This and cell walls are only in animals, like the separation between
an automatic and a manual car.
Plasma membrane - This forms the whole body of the car, sort of like the car paint. The
plasma membrane makes the cell take shape, and separates one cell from another cell,
much like the car paint and the exterior look of the car.
Cell wall – The cell wall is the frame of the car, it sort of holds everything in, and
makes sure everything is safe inside the car.