ANIMAL CELL MODELS

Materials:
1 ziplock bag filled with gelatin
1 fruit slice
3 gum drops
Directions:
1 Check all materials with the materials list above.
2 Take the bag full of gelatin and carefully open it. What parts of the cell
do the bag and gelatin represent?
________________________________________________________
3 Drop the fruit slice into the bag. This represents the nucleus.
4 Drop the gum drops into the bag. These represent the vacuoles. Do
animal cells have more vacuoles than plant cells? ____________
5 Carefully seal up the bag. Double check it just to be sure.
6 Lay the sealed bag flat on the table and spread out the organelles.
7 After your cell is made, fill in the chart below.

In the chart below, check off the organelles that are in your assigned cell.
Nucleus Cell
Wall

PLANT
ANIMAL

Cell
Membran
e

Chloropla
st

Cytoplas
m

Vacuol
e

1. Using the chart and the new cell, list some of the differences you see
between plant and animal cells. Are there any new or missing organelles?
Do the organelles look different?

2. Can a plant cell do things that an animal cell cannot? Explain.

3. How do vacuoles in the animal cell differ from those in the plant cell?

4. How do the stiff cell walls of plant cells make plants look and feel different
from animals? (Refer back to when we stacked the cells)