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.