Cell Science

We are studying Human Anatomy and Physiology.  Do you know the difference?  Yeah, we didn't either at the beginning of our study.  Anatomy is the study of the human body, the organs, and where they are located.  Physiology is the study of how the body and its organs work.

We studied many famous scientists from ages past: Hippocrates and Aristotle of Greece, Galen of Rome, Vesalius, Leeuwenhock, and Hooke of Europe to name a few.  And then we learned about the Egyptians and their belief that they needed to preserve a body because that person would need it in the afterlife.  Mummification, that's what our first science project was.  Mummification.  The goal: to mummify an apple.

This science experiment did not go to plan, but we did learn something.  Just not about mummification. ;)

Apples peeled, and one all ready to be preserved.  Day 1
Apple on the left: Control Apple / Apple on the right: Mummified Apple

Ready to see what will happen.  Excited to see a preserved apple.

Day 8: The Control Apple: dehydrated, but not rotten

Day 8: Mummified Apple: Squishy, dehydrated, and leathery

A shot of the mummified apple taken further back

So the best we could figure out, because I in fact ate one of these apples fresh, and it had a nasty taste, is that they were sprayed or injected with something to preserve them.  Which tells us, that if it does not decompose outside of the body in an 80* house, how hard do you think it is for our body to process it and actually get any nutritional value out of it.

It did not rot.

Isn't our food supposed to rot if left out?

It's really sad when the fruit flies in the house won't even touch it.

It reminded me of a McDonald's apple piece we accidentally left in the car for a week in over 100* outdoor temps. 

When we found it, it looked like the day we got it.

That's not food.

That's gross!

So the lesson we learned was not about mummification,

But why we shouldn't eat foods that have been preserved.

Good lesson none the less.

:)

 

But they were super disappointed in the mummification results.

We will try this again, but ask a friend for his apples from his tree.

We had some fun activities that we did throughout the last two weeks.

My shirtless one making a cell mini book

They all turned their cell mini books to their favorite part - Mitochondria, Golgi body, DNA, and the Lysosome

Then they made bodies and taped their heads to the top.  We'll be using these throughout the year to place organs on it.

And I think the kids most favorite part of the whole science unit . . .  Making an edible cell.

Adding M&M's (mitochondria) to their cytoplasm (jello & knox)

Skittles for Lysosomes & Smarties for Golgi Bodies

The fruit roll up was the Endoplasmic Reticulum, with Nerds as the Ribosomes

And the sprinkles were the centrioles.  Oh yeah, and a big ole Sour Patch for the Nucleus.

Flip them over on a plate, and wha-la!  You have yourself an edible cell.

Sugar rush . . . here we come!!