Question

cell city analogy
in a far away city called grant city, the main export and
production product is the steel widget. everyone in the town
has something to do with steel widget making and the entire
town is designed to build and export widgets. the town hall
has the instructions for widget making, widgets come in all
shapes and sizes and any citizen of grant can get the instructions and begin making their
own widgets. widgets are generally produced in factories and small shops around the city.
these small shops can be built by the carpenters union (whose headquarters are in town
hall). they are using blueprints.
after the widget is constructed, they are placed on trucks which can deliver the widget
anywhere in the city. in order for a widget to be exported, the trucks take the widget to
the postal office, where the widgets are packaged and labeled for export. sometimes
widgets dont turn out right, and the
ejects\ are sent to the garbage where they are
broken down for parts or destroyed altogether. the town powers the widget shops from a
nuclear power plant that is in the city. the entire city is enclosed by a large wooden
fence, only the trucks (and citizens with proper passports) are allowed outside the city.
match the parts of the city (underlined) with the parts of the cell.

1. mitochondria
2. ribosomes
3. nucleus
4. endoplasmic reticulum
5. golgi apparatus
6. protein
7. cell membrane
8. lysosomes
9. nucleolus

Explanation:

1. Mitochondria are the power - houses of the cell. In the analogy, the nuclear power plant powers the widget shops (similar to how mitochondria power the cell), so mitochondria match the nuclear power plant.
2. Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis. In the city, widgets are made in factories and small shops. Since proteins are like the "widgets" of the cell and ribosomes make proteins, ribosomes match the factories and small shops.
3. The nucleus contains the genetic instructions (like DNA). In the city, the town hall has the instructions for widget making, so the nucleus matches the town hall.
4. The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in the transport of proteins (or in the analogy, the transport of widgets). The trucks deliver widgets (like the ER transports proteins), so the endoplasmic reticulum matches the trucks.
5. The Golgi apparatus modifies, sorts, and packages proteins. In the city, the postal office packages and labels widgets for export (similar to the Golgi's function), so the Golgi apparatus matches the postal office.
6. Proteins are the products of the cell (like the widgets are the products of the city), so protein matches the widget.
7. The cell membrane controls what enters and exits the cell. The large wooden fence controls what (trucks and citizens with passports) can go outside the city (similar to the cell membrane's function), so the cell membrane matches the large wooden fence.
8. Lysosomes break down waste. The garbage where rejects (waste widgets) are broken down matches lysosomes.
9. The nucleolus is involved in ribosome synthesis. In the analogy, the carpenter's union (whose headquarters are in the town hall - like the nucleolus is in the nucleus) builds the small shops (similar to ribosome production as ribosomes are made in the nucleolus), so the nucleolus matches the carpenter's union.

Answer:

1. Nuclear power plant
2. Factories and small shops
3. Town hall
4. Trucks
5. Postal office
6. Widget
7. Large wooden fence
8. Garbage
9. Carpenter's union