3d Model Animal Cell for the Classroom

When the teacher is just talking and talking as a student I find it very difficult to follow them and visualize what they are taking about. I would guess that many other students agree with me. I find it is far easier for me to learn something when teachers use models to explain something. This is why for this instructables I made a 3d model of an animal cell in tinker cad for teacher to use to better help their students understand and picture a cell in their minds.

Supplies

All you need is a 3d cad software. You are free to print this out as well but it is not necessary.

Step 1: Building the Cell Membrane and Cytoplasm

Place down 2 semi-circles inside one another and resize the inner one. The outside semi circle represents the cell membrane and the inside the cytoplasm. Change the cytoplasm a different color to differentiate from the membrane. I changed the height of the cytoplasm so that it is shorter then the membrane to add some depth to the model.

Step 2: Adding the Rest of the Organelles

Now it is time to make the rest of the organelles. Here are all the organelles I added and how:

• Nucleus - Create a smaller semicircle and put it in the center of the cytoplasm
• Nucleolus - Create a smaller semicircle and put in inside of the Nucleus
• Ribosome - Small spheres doted around the cytoplasm
• Endoplasmic Reticulum - Use the scribble tool to create a web of lines sounding a circle. When finished resize the circle so that it fits around the nucleus 
• Golgi Apparatus - Use the scribble tool to create blob like arcs
• Vacuoles - Use small spheres
• Lysosomes - Use the Pac Man shape and slice it in half
• Mitochondria - Use a cylinder and 2 semi circles as the body and cut it in half. Finally, using the scribble tool draw out a pattern and group the shapes into one.

Step 3: Label

The final step and one of the most important steps in creating a model is labeling all of the parts. All you have to do is use that note tool and attach them to different parts of the model. I recommend along with the name you include the function and maybe a helpful mnemonic to remember the organelles. Here are a few examples:

Mitochondria -The power house of the cell creates most of the chemical energy in a animal cell. You can think of it like a power plant.

Cell Membrane - The cell membrane surrounds the inner organelles protecting them. Its job is to decide what comes in and what goes out of the cell. Like a border patrol for the cell.

Now you can use this model how ever you want. I think this would be a very useful class room resource for both students and teachers to learn about cell structure. If you are a teacher I would advise sharing the tinker cad model to all of you students. If you use google classroom you can even do it directly form the tinker cad page.