Islands of Adventure is like a Cell

Biology Project to compare a cell to something. In our case: Islands of Adventure in Orlando, FL

PowerPoint

A PowerPoint slideshow of this work is available here: Image:IOA is like a Cell.ppt

• Fence = Cell Membrane
• Front Gate = Membrane Channel
• Facades = Cytoskeleton
• Paths = Cytoplasm
• Office = Nucleus
• Park Blueprints = Chromosomes
• Paper Blueprints are on = Chromatin
• Ad Office = Nucleolus
• Cars in Parking Lot = Ribosomes
• Boat Ride = Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Family Time = Golgi
• Janitors = Lysosome
• Trash truck = Vesicle
• Back Pathways = Vacuole
• Generators = Mitochondria

Description

Short

The teacher mandated the paper has to be less than a page

Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure theme park can be easily compared to an animal cell. They both contain workers that team up to keep their structure running properly. The outer fence that surrounds the park is similar to the cell membrane. Both the fence and the membrane work to protect their insides from outsiders and control its shape. As you enter the amusement park, you are greeted by the front gate which is very similar to the membrane channel of a cell. The membrane channel contains openings that let food go in and waste go out through its pores just as the front gate lets people in, and merchandise, food, waste, and satisfied customers out. As you continue inside, you are greeting by facades that are similar to the cytoskeleton of a cell. Since the cytoskeleton helps the cell to keep its shape and maintain the cell’s boundaries, the facades help the park to remain in shape as well. The pathways throughout the park compare nicely to the cytoplasm of a cell. The cytoplasm is basically the contents of the cell which lets everything happen in it, just as the paths let people get around to all of the rides and makes up the park.

The office of the theme park is similar to the nucleus of a cell because they both monitor what is going on in their environments (Islands of Adventure controls their staff, rides, and other park managements, while the cell’s nucleus turns on and off different genetic programs in the cell). The blueprints of the park are similar to the chromosomes of a cell because they carry information that tells how the cell/park should be built. The paper that these blueprints are on is the chromatin in a cell because it holds the “ink” of the blueprints (without paper the park’s blueprints would have no foundation). Islands of Adventure’s advertising office is similar to the cell’s nucleolus. It entices people to come to the park, just as the nucleolus synthesizes ribosomes.

The cars in the parking lot are symbolic of a ribosome because it causes the proteins to assemble. Although cars don’t assemble people, the cars bring the people into the park as a result of the advertising. The boat ride in Islands of Adventure theme park is similar to the endoplasmic reticulum of a cell because they both get things ready to transport, and then transport them to their destinations. The sense of “family time” is like the Golgi in a cell because it is what is manufactured from the park.

The park’s clean-up crews are similar to the lysosomes because they break down “once edible materials” into smaller molecules. The trash trucks can be easily compared to the vesicles because they transport waste away from the cell, just as a trash truck removes waste from the park. The back pathways serve as vacuoles because they both house and transport materials. The Mitochondria is similar to the park’s generators because it provides energy for the park.

By comparing an animal cell to Islands of Adventure theme park, you can easily see connections form between the two structures. By analyzing how well the cells compare to the theme park, it is easier to learn the functions of each of the organelles.

Old Long Version

Animal Cell/Amusement Park Analogy In today’s society, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to truly live on their own. There would always have to be some aspect of the “modern life” present. Airports, amusement parks, hotels, and many other large businesses would not be able to function if everyone (and everything) working there did not work together, for without the help of others, nothing would be able to function on its own. By analyzing the comparison between animal cells and amusement parks, we can better understand why the organelles of cells work together, and why cells and amusement parks are actually quite similar.

Animal cells are made up of about sixteen different organelles that work together to make the cell function properly. The main center of operations is the nucleus and the nucleolus working hand in hand. They control the cell and contain DNA that gives the cell specific characteristics. The cell also contains a Golgi apparatus that serves as transportation for macromolecules, smooth endoplasmic reticulum breaks down and controls toxins in the cell, rough endoplasmic reticulum that hold proteins before they are transported to other parts of the cell, a cell membrane that serves as a protective coating for the cell, among many other organelles. If each organelle did not do its part, the cell would not function properly.

Modern-day amusement parks operate in a similar fashion. Corporate officials control how the park is run by monitoring cash inflow, purchasing new rides, and listening to the ideas of their customers. Many men and women work together to keep the park runs smoothly. Some act as cleaners by picking up trash and empting garbage cans, while others control when the rides begin. Some employees are responsible for transporting people on a monorail or shuttle bus, while still others work to provide food for the guests. Without all of these people working together, amusement parks would not be nearly as enjoyable as they are now.

Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure theme park can be easily compared to an animal cell. The outer fence that surrounds the park is similar to the cell membrane. They both the fence and the membrane work to protect their insides from outsiders and let it keep its shape. As you enter the amusement park, you are greeted by the front gate which is very similar to the membrane channel of a cell. The membrane channel contains openings that let food go in and waste go out through its pores just as the front gate lets people in, and merchandise, food, waste, and satisfied customers out. As you continue inside, you are greeting by facades that are similar to the cytoskeleton of a cell. Since the cytoskeleton helps the cell to keep its shape, the facades help the park to remain in shape as well. The pathways throughout the park compare nicely to the cytoplasm of a cell. The cytoplasm helps to move materials around the cell, just as the paths help to move people around the park. The cytoplasm also fills up the cell, just like the paths in Islands of Adventure make up the park.

The office of the theme park is similar to the nucleus of a cell because they both monitor what is going on in their environments (Islands of Adventure controls their staff, rides, and other park managements, while the cell’s nucleus turns on and off different genetic programs in the cell). The blueprints of the park are similar to the chromosomes of a cell because they carry information that tells how the cell/park should be built. The paper that these blueprints are on is the chromatin in a cell because it holds the “ink” of the blueprints (without paper the park’s blueprints would have no foundation). Islands of Adventure’s advertising office is similar to the cell’s nucleolus. It entices people to come to the park, just as the nucleolus synthesizes ribosomes. The cars in the parking lot are symbolic of a ribosome because it causes the proteins to assemble.

The boat ride in Islands of Adventure theme park is similar to the endoplasmic reticulum of a cell because they both get things ready to transport, and then transport them to their destinations. The sense of “family time” is like the Golgi in a cell because it is what is manufactured from the park. The park’s clean-up crews are similar to the lysosomes because they break down “once edible materials” into smaller molecules. The trash trucks can be easily compared to the vesicles because they transport waste away from the cell, just as a trash truck removes waste from the park. The back pathways would then serve as vacuoles because they both house and transport materials. The mitochondria is similar to the park’s generators because it provides energy for the park.

By comparing Island of Adventure to a common animal cell, many similarities can be easily seen. Both structures require many different people/organelles to keep things running correctly. They also both have related jobs for the people/organelles to perform. By analyzing how well cells compare to amusement parks, it is easier to learn the functions of each of its organelles.