Models Help Us Understand Things Too Small to See

Plant and animal cells are too small to see without a microscope, but we can make a model of a cell. One fun idea is to use different foods for the different structures of the cell. Gelatin can act as the cytoplasm. If you pour gelatin into a container and refrigerate it until it is almost set (about an hour), it will be the perfect medium to hold all the cell components in place.

You can use different candies and fruits to represent all the different parts of the cell. Be sure to make a list of what each food item represents. After you show your creation to someone, it might make a yummy treat.

If this were a cell, the yellow gelatin is acting like the cytoplasm of a cell and the items within are the parts of the cell.

Models represent objects or systems in ways that make it easier for us to comprehend them.

We might use physical models to understand microscopic cells, conceptual models to understand our place in a food web, or mathematical models to predict the global population in 20 years. Whichever type we choose, models help us understand and explain our complex world.

Radio-controlled aircraft are not only popular with hobbyists and scientists, but effective models for understanding flight.