Animal Cell Feast

By:WilliamHelena

Julia

Nuclear Envelop

eI am the nuclear envelope. I’m the double-membrane that surrounds the nucleolus and the chromatin, and all three of us together make up the nucleus. My surface is covered in nuclear pores that allow material to move in and out of the nucleus.

Chromatin

Good day, everyone. I am the chromatin in the nucleus of an animal cell. I am made of deoxyribonucleic acid bound to protein, and contain important hereditary, or DNA, information. Normally I am a granular sort of material visible within the nucleus, but when a cell divides, I condense to form chromosomes—threadlike formations that contain the hereditary information that gets passed from one generation of cells to the next.

Nucleolus

Hi! I’m the nucleolus in the nucleus, and for a long time, scientists weren’t sure what my job in the cell was—but they now know that I am the small, dense area where ribosomes are made.

Rough Endoplas

mic Reticulum

Boungiorno! I am the rough endoplasmic reticulum of an animal cell. I get my name because of the many ribosomes that are dotted on my surface, making it look rough (the ribosomes are going to introduce themselves next, so you’ll find out their jobs soon). I work with my friend, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, who’ll you’ll also meet. My role is that I am the part of the ER where components of the cell membrane are put together and certain proteins are tailored or adapted. The ribosomes on my surface are key to this process, because via the ribosomes, newly made proteins are transported to me so that I can chemically modify them and prepare them to leave the cell.

Ribosomes

Heya Hiya! We are the ribosomes, and we are made up of small particles of RNA and protein—and we’re also super tiny, only being a mere .025 micrometers in diameter. We have the essential job of creating proteins for the cell. We follow instructions sent to us by the nucleus to carry out this task. Some of us live attached to the surface of the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, while some of us float in the cytoplasm of the cell and are called “free” ribosomes.

Mitochondria

Howdy y’all! We are the mitochondria, and our job is to make compounds that are high in energy that our cell uses to power growth, movement, and development. We use the energy and nutrients from food to make these compounds. As mitochondrion, we also have an outer and an inner membrane, and the inner membrane is folded and squiggly.

Smooth Endoplas

mic Reticulum

Greetings to you all. I am the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and my duties include synthesizing lipids, calcium concentration, drug detoxification, and carbohydrate metabolism. Unlike my friend, the Rough ER, I lack ribosomes (hence my smooth appearance versus his rough ribosome-studded surface).

Centrioles

We are the centrioles of this animal cell, and we are important in the process of cell division. We help to guide the chromosomes through the process of mitosis.

Golgi Apparat

usI am the Golgi Apparatus, and my job is to attach carbohydrates and lipids to proteins before sending them out of the cell to their final destination. The rough ER sends me the proteins it has modified, and I then ready them for their journey.

Cell Membra

neHey there! I am the cell membrane and my main function is to provide structure, support, and protection for the cell as well as allowing water, oxygen, and other substances to pass into the cell.

And for dessert…ice cream topped with Golgi Apparatus

And dinner for Rocky Waffles…

BON APPETITE!