The Cell City Analogy

The cell structures or organelles perform a variety of functions like production of

proteins, storage of important materials, harvesting energy, repairing cell parts, digestion of
substances and maintaining the shape and structure of the cell, among others. Since the
organelles are compartmentalized, one system does not interfere with the functions of other
systems, but their roles are interdependent.

Carefully read the paragraph below and answer the following exercises in a separate sheet of
paper.

In a faraway city called the Light City, the main export and production product is the
steel widget. Everyone in the city has something to do with the steel widget making and the
entire town is designed to build and export widgets. The city hall has the instruction in widget
making. Widgets come in all shapes and sizes and any citizen of Light City can get the
instructions and begin their own widgets. Widgets are generally produced in small stores
around the city. These small stores can be built by the construction engineer’s union (whose
headquarters are in the city hall).

After the widget is constructed, they are placed on special carts which can deliver the
widget anywhere in the city. In order for a widget to be exported, the charts take the widget to
the postal office, where the widgets are packaged and labeled for export.

Sometimes widgets don’t turn out right, and the rejects are turned to the scrap
yard where they are broken down for parts or destroyed altogether. The city powers the
widget shops and carts from hydraulic dam. The entire city is enclosed by a large wooden
fence. Only the postal trucks and citizens with proper documents are allowed inside the city.

Match the parts of the city (underlined) with the part of the cell.
1. Nucleus - ________________________________________
2. Nucleolus - ______________________________________
3. Mitochondria - ___________________________________
4. Cell membrane - _________________________________
5. Ribosomes - _____________________________________
6. Lysosomes - _____________________________________
7. Protein - _________________________________________
8. Endoplasmic reticulum - _________________________
9. Golgi apparatus - ________________________________
10. What type of cell is “Light city”? __________________