The Incredible Edible Cell

For science this semester, we have been studying the human body. It's been interesting. Enlightening.

And delicious.

One of our recent projects was to create a model of a cell from gelatin and edible goodies. Here's the recipe. Do try this at home. :-)

First, enlist the help of a few spunky students to pose as chefs.

Second, have them make a double batch of Knox gelatin with organic apple juice.

Next, have them pour the gelatin into individual bowls and refrigerate for an hour or just until it starts setting.

Be prepared to answer the question, "How much longer?" at least 179 times.



Before you turn blue in the face, take out the bowls of gelatin (Cytoplasm). Be sure to give each chef their own bowl lest a food fight occur.

Have each chef add the organelles:

Golgi Bodies (pieces of blue or green fruit leather)
Endoplasmic Reticulum (pieces of red or yellow fruit leather)
Ribosomes (round cake sprinkles)
Mitochondria (cut up licorice)
Vacuoles (raisins)
Nucleus (large grape)



Exclaim, "What a work of art!"



And, "I love your cell!"

Now, convince the chefs that they need to place their cells in the fridge for at least a couple more hours.

Yes, that's right, a couple more hours. Because you said so.

In the meantime, hand out illustrations of a cell and have the chefs label the cell components. File this page in their human body notebook.

That takes all of ten minutes. Have the chefs take a break and run around outside. When they come in complaining they're hungry, give them an apple and send them back outside. When they come in complaining they're tired, have them watch Schoolhouse Rock.

Ding! Time is up! Quick, run to the fridge!

Aaah, the fruit of our labor--the incredible, edible cell.

Who said science isn't yummy?

"For everything created by God is good." 1 Timothy 4:4