Transcript Parts of the Cell: Pizza Delivery Shop

Parts of the
Cell: Pizza
Delivery Shop
Sarah Quasarano and
Brooke Tushman
Ribosomes: the “Oven” of the
cell

Ribosomes are
responsible for the
creation of proteins within
the cell. If ribosomes
were to malfunction, the
cell would not be able to
survive because no
proteins would be made
to carry out usual cell
behavior.

In the same way
ribosomes make
proteins which are vital
to the cell, ovens make
pizza which is essential
for a pizza delivery
shop.
Plasma Membrane: the
“Building” of the cell

The plasma membrane is the
boundary between a cell
and it’s environment. It
controls what goes in and
out of the cell. If the
membrane were to stop
functioning, important
materials for the cell might
not be able to enter it, and
toxins and wastes that should
leave might be stuck inside,
compromising the cell.

The walls of the pizza shop
resemble the membrane
because they are a
boundary between the
inside and outside of the
pizza shop. Things such as
the doors and windows
resemble the membrane
because they regulate what
can enter and exit the shop.
Chromosomes: the “Pizza
Recipe” of the cell

In the cell, chromosomes are
thread like structures in the
nuclei of cells that contain
the instructions for making
offspring unique while still
containing their parents’
DNA. Without functioning
chromosomes, mutations in
DNA can occur to cause a
variety of disorders and
disabilities.

The chromosomes would
function as the recipe for
the pizza because in the
cell they contain the
information necessary for
the cell to function
correctly. Similarly, a
pizza place could not
function correctly without
the recipe to the pizza
served there.
Endoplasmic Reticulum: the
“Kitchen” of the cell

The ER serves as a site for
protein and lipid synthesis
in the cell, as well as
removes toxins from the
cell. If the rough ER
stopped functioning, the
proteins wouldn’t be
transported to the Golgi
apparatus and the cell
would lack necessary
enzymes. If the smooth ER
stopped functioning, the
cell would not be able to
detoxify substances, and
the cell would fail.


The Rough ER would be the
part of the kitchen that
cooks and contains the
ovens, stoves, etc.,
because it is responsible for
making the pizzas
(proteins)
The Smooth ER would be
the part of the kitchen that
is responsible for cleaning,
such as the sinks or
garbage cans, because it
deals with the
detoxification and
cleaning of the cell.
Golgi Apparatus: the “Delivery
Boy” of the cell

The Golgi Apparatus
packages proteins
into vesicles and
sends them to their
destinations. Without
a Golgi Apparatus,
lysosomes would not
be able to have
digestive enzymes,
causing a build up of
materials, and
disallowing secretion.

The Golgi Apparatus
would be the delivery
boy in the pizza place
because it is responsible
for packaging and
sending vesicles to their
destinations in the same
way a delivery boy
packages pizzas into
their boxes, and sends
them to their
destinations (customer’s
homes).
Nucleus: the “Owner of the
Pizza Shop” of the cell

The nucleus functions
by regulating the
activities of the cell
and controlling gene
expression. Without
a functioning
nucleus, the cell
would lose it’s ability
to function and
begin to die.

The nucleus is similar to
the owner of the pizza
shop because it
contains information
important to the cell
and tells the cell what
to do. The owner of a
pizza place would tell
workers what to do,
and also know the
recipes of the pizza so
that it could function
better.
Nucleolus: the “Assistant to the
Owner” of the cell

The nucleolus
functions to rewrite
ribosomal RNA and
combine it with
proteins in order to
form incomplete
ribosomes. If the
nucleolus stopped
functioning no
ribosomes, and
therefore no
proteins, would be
created.

The nucleolus is like an
assistant to the owner of
the pizza shop because
they help remember
and repeat recipes, as
well as transfer orders
from the owner, but do
not create them and
are a smaller part of the
management, similarly
to how the nucleolus is a
smaller part of the
nucleus.
Vesicle: the “Pizza Boxes” of
the cell

Vesicles are used to
transfer materials from
one place to the other.
If vesicles didn't’t work in
a cell, then the cell
would result in death.
Vesicles are important in
moving substances in
and out of cells. Without
the movement of these
important things, cells
wouldn't’t get what they
need to have and get
rid of.

Vesicles are like the pizza
boxes because they are
what packages and
protects the pizza
(proteins). The vesicles
keep the proteins safe
until they reach their final
destination, in this case
the destination would be
the customers.
Vacuoles: the “heater” of the
cell

Vacuoles function by
holding materials and
wastes in the cell. Often
the largest organelle in a
cell, they also provide
structure and control the
pressure of the cell.
Without a functioning
vacuole, cells would not
have an area to store
wastes and could be
poisoned, and problems
with pressure revelation
would not allow the cell to
survive.

In the same way that
vacuoles store materials
until they are needed or
ready, a heater in a
pizza shop stores the
pizza, keeping it warm,
until it is ready for
consumption or is no
longer edible and
considered waste. This
“storage compartment”
is fitting to both a heater
and vacuoles in a cell.
Lysosomes: the “Trash Can” of
the cell

Lysosomes are the
key organelles
involved in digestion
and the removal of
wastes in the cell.
Without them, a cell
could become toxic
or not have the
necessary means to
dispose of it’s waste
products.

The lysosomes are like a
trash can because trash
cans are how places,
remove their waste
products. If expired
food were to be left out
in a place with no trash
cans, the restaurant
would be poisoned by
viruses that could
spread, making trash
cans as vital to pizza
shops as lysosomes are
to cells.
Mitochondria: the “Furnace”
of the cell

Mitochondria preforms
cellular respiration by
breaking down nutrients
in the cell and turning it
into energy. Without the
mitochondria, the cell
would not be able to
produce or use any
energy and would not
be functional due to the
mitochondria’s various
functions beyond
cellular respiration.

In a pizza shop, the
furnace would be
what primarily powers
the restaurant and
provides it with energy.
Without energy in the
pizza shop, it would not
be functional as it relies
on the energy it
provides, just as the
cell relies on energy
form the mitochondria.
Chloroplasts: the “Solar
Panels” of the cell

Chloroplasts, which are
only found in plant
cells, are the organelle
responsible for
photosynthesis.
Without photosynthesis,
plants could not
convert the sun’s
energy into sugars that
the cell could use.
Without photosynthesis
the cell would perish.

Chloroplasts are only
found in plant cells in
the same way that
solar panels are only
found in certain pizza
shops. Solar panels
convert energy from
the sun into energy
that can support the
pizza shop the way
photosynthesis is
carried out in a cell.
Cytoskeleton: the “Load
Bearing Walls” of the cell

The function of the
cytoskeleton is to form a
framework for
organelles to move
around. It proves shape
and structure for the
cell. Without the
cytoskeleton, there
wouldn’t be a track for
chromosomes to move
along. Without this,
there wouldn’t be
processes like mitosis or
cytokinesis.

Load Bearing Walls in a
building are the primary
source of it’s structure;
without them, the
building would not be
able to support itself and
would collapse. The
cytoskeleton provides the
same kind of necessary
structure to the cell.
Cytosol: the “Waiters” of the
cell

Cytosol has many
functions to complete
throughout the
cytoplasm. Many of
them relate to
transporting items
around the cell to and
from organelles.
Without cytosol, there
would be no way for the
organelles to move
because they would
have no where to move
through.

Cytosol in the cell is similar
to the waiters in a
restaurant because they
are responsible for the
allowance of movement
and fluidity across the
pizza place. Without the
waiters, the movement of
pizza throughout the
restaurant would not
occur.