Need Science project help!

[tiggerlover]

DS has to make a model of an animal cell, but it has to be totally edible. For the cytoplasm he was thinking of using jelly, however, I think that might be hard to transport to school without it coming moving around and getting ruined. Anyone have any thoughts of something that is edible that we could use as the cytoplasm?

He was thinking of using licorice whips as the cell membrane, a Ferro Rocher candy as the nucleus, tootsie rolls as the mitochondria, chocolate chips as the ribosomes and croutons as the vacuoles. (I had to look this up and find out what it was....been out of school way to long!)

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[DisneyGirl]

I don't know much about cells, but if you were planning on using jelly, what about plain (clear) gelatin? would that work? You can put it into a bowl to mold it into a round "cell" shape.

 

[Lynn CC]

DS made one while he was in school, if I remember correctly he cut the cell out of cake, then frosted it and put licorice fior the mitocondria, red hots for the lysosomes, etc...and other candies that resembled the parts.
The cake worked well for him. He made a huge one and everyone ate it after class.
Have Fun!

edited to say...I really miss those days with DS!

 

[golfgal]

Crack an EGG, instant cell!

 

[taximomfor4]

Instead of jelly, I would probably use vanilla pudding. If it does get away from him, it cleans up much better. Easier to place neatly, too.

 

[DisneyGirl]

Crack an EGG, instant cell!

This is some great "thinking out of the box!!"

 

[taximomfor4]

Crack an EGG, instant cell!

Ewwww..I wouldn't eat it!

Of course, I wouldn't eat jelly with a crouton in it, either.

 

[beckmrk04]

I did the cake thing, too when I was in HS. Delicious project!

I just went to the grocery store and wandered around the bulk candy bins for a while. Almost anything can look like the make-up of a cell if you think about it. Then, I labeled all of my cell parts with little toothpick flags.

Are they even allowed to eat the project? Because then you could use the egg idea or the gelatin metioned if they aren't going to be eating it. I know schools around here won't allow any home-made treats.

 

[tiggerlover]

Some great ideas, thanks. Like the pudding idea. DS was thinking about blue icing as he says the middle of the cells usually look blue. I think I will let him look around the bulk candy isle, that is a good idea. Not sure if they are supposed to eat it or not, just know it has to be totally edible.

Thanks for your help, it is much appreciated. Now it is in DS's hands to create away.

 

[disneygirlatheart]

My ds just done one of these. We used orange jello. It worked pretty good.

 

[newtowdw1]

Cells aren't really blue. That's the stain used to make them more visible under microscopes.

I've had students create pizzas in the past. However, Jello is probably the easiest. Make it in layers, and make a plant cell. THen it can be in a rectangular glass baking dish. Grapes for the chloroplasts, carrot peelings (long wide wavery strips) could be golgi bodies. Celery strands for the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. A plum for the nucleus. The pit of the plum for the nucleolus. Hmmm...plant cells usually have 1 large central vacuole, so you could use a plastic rectangular tub for that. Little cinnamon red hots for the ribosomes, they have to be scattered throughout the cell. And if he could stick some to celery strands with icing he'd have rough endoplasmic reticulum. Oh, you need mitochondria...use red grapes for that.

But I really like the egg. It is a cell. Teacher might be po'd if s/he doesn't have a sense of humor though.

 

[thewishfire]

As others have said, Jello would be great.

When I was in school some classes had this project and I saw many green Jello cells around.

 

[Megster]

When I did this project I used white frosting. It also works great because the other stuff sticks to it so you don't have to worry about it moving around when the frosting hardens, but the texture on top still looks like cytoplasm.

 

[mchames]

My DD8 just did something similar in her 3rd grade science class. They used frosting and candies to make sugar cookies into "cell cookies". She had a blast.

For an older child though, I do like the jello idea.

Mary