Introduction: 3Doodled Cell Model
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Wow your school workload with this impressive and anatomically accurate 3Doodled cell model! Perfect pocket-sized cell (not phone)!
Step 1: Nucleus
Begin by doodling the nucleolus. Slowly build up a small pile of “island blue” plastic, peeling it off of the paper and adding extra layers all around. When the nucleolus is about the size of a marble, carefully run it under or dip it in cool water to prevent burning yourself. I like to keep a small bowl of water on my workspace to quickly cool pieces down, and make rubbing away stray bits of paper easier.
Doodle a flat circle of “clearly blue” plastic on a fresh sheet of paper. Quickly fold the disk of plastic on a 90 degree angle to create the nucleus cutaway area. Bore a hole into the centre of your newly bent disk with the tip of your 3doodler. Insert the nucleolus into the hole, and secure with several hefty blobs of plastic. Wind many strands of plastic around the nucleolus as if you are wrapping up a ball of yarn. When it is the size of a large marble, stop winding and smooth out the exterior with more “island blue” plastic. Doodle a few nuclear pores out of “royal blue” plastic, by pressing the start button, dabbing the drop of plastic where you want it, and then pressing the stop button quickly.
Doodle a flat circle of “clearly blue” plastic on a fresh sheet of paper. Quickly fold the disk of plastic on a 90 degree angle to create the nucleus cutaway area. Bore a hole into the centre of your newly bent disk with the tip of your 3doodler. Insert the nucleolus into the hole, and secure with several hefty blobs of plastic. Wind many strands of plastic around the nucleolus as if you are wrapping up a ball of yarn. When it is the size of a large marble, stop winding and smooth out the exterior with more “island blue” plastic. Doodle a few nuclear pores out of “royal blue” plastic, by pressing the start button, dabbing the drop of plastic where you want it, and then pressing the stop button quickly.
Step 2: Organelles
Trace a form for the layer of cytosol on a clean sheet of paper. Doodle a messy “egg yolk” shape on the paper out of “clearly clear” plastic, ideally leaving a hole for the nucleus in the centre of it (I forgot to do this). If you forget to leave the hole, you can always bore some plastic away by melting it with the tip of your pen.
Add a few lines of “island blue” plastic to create the endoplasmic reticulum. Add a few hanging strands underneath the cytosol as well to establish more of a “3D” feel. Add a few strands of dots with “Martian mars red” plastic, to create some free-floating ribosomes. With the same strand of red plastic, form a few blobs of red, and edge them in “gangsta gold” to create the mitochondria. Highlight the endoplasmic reticulum with neon pink plastic, and add a few dots of “Martian mars red” to create some attached ribosomes, making sure you add ribosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum underneath the cytosol as well. Doodle a zigzagging line of “rubber ducky yellow” to form the Golgi body, and edge it with “asphalt grey” plastic. The colour coding system is easy to forget, so feel free to refer to the chart.⬇️
Endoplasmic reticulum = “island blue”
Ribosomes = “Martian mars red”
Mitochondria = “Martian mars red”, “gangsta gold”
Golgi body = “rubber ducky yellow”, “asphalt grey”
Add a few lines of “island blue” plastic to create the endoplasmic reticulum. Add a few hanging strands underneath the cytosol as well to establish more of a “3D” feel. Add a few strands of dots with “Martian mars red” plastic, to create some free-floating ribosomes. With the same strand of red plastic, form a few blobs of red, and edge them in “gangsta gold” to create the mitochondria. Highlight the endoplasmic reticulum with neon pink plastic, and add a few dots of “Martian mars red” to create some attached ribosomes, making sure you add ribosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum underneath the cytosol as well. Doodle a zigzagging line of “rubber ducky yellow” to form the Golgi body, and edge it with “asphalt grey” plastic. The colour coding system is easy to forget, so feel free to refer to the chart.⬇️
Endoplasmic reticulum = “island blue”
Ribosomes = “Martian mars red”
Mitochondria = “Martian mars red”, “gangsta gold”
Golgi body = “rubber ducky yellow”, “asphalt grey”
Step 3: Cytoplasm
Begin drawing the cytoplasm by flipping the cell upside down, and doodling from its highest point. Draw “support beams” of “clearly clear” plastic (or nylon with a 3Doodler PRO), then connect and fill in the beams with more plastic.
Step 4: Cutaway Section
Doodle a layer of “cotton candy pink” plastic on top of the cytosol. Leave a small triangular portion empty for the cutaway area. Melt away the cytosol in the triangular portion with the the tip of the pen. Break it off of the cell using pliers, scissors, or your fingers if you are feeling particularly brave; revealing the ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum inside. Clean the edges up a bit with some more “clearly clear” plastic, if you aren’t completely exhausted yet.
Step 5: Completed Pocket Cell!
Your model cell is finally complete! Enjoy showing it off, using it as a reference for science concepts, and confusing people by referring to it as a “pocket cell”.
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