Cell analogy

A cell is like a cruise ship, as both are their own environment by its self, and
resemble each other in many ways.

Cell membrane:
The cell membrane is like the security on the ship. The cell membrane is semipermeable and can either allow or block what comes into the cell, and the security
that is put in place does the same thing on a ship.

Nucleus:
The Nucleus in the cell holds all of the DNA, and controls what goes on in the cell,
making it the most important part of the cell. Like the nucleus the control room
decides what goes on in the cell, and is one of the most important rooms, as without
it the ship would be in chaos.

Lysosomes:
Lysosomes are like the cleaners of the ship, as they get rid of the undesirable parts
of the cell by digesting them. The cleaning staff makes sure that the ship isnt to
dirty, and dirt is undesirable material. Sure the Cleaning crews dont digest it, but
they get rid of it, like lysosomes, which help the cell to run properly.

Vacuole:
The vacuole in the cell is use to store water and other nutrients, and helps to
maintain turgor pressure. The part of the ship that most resembles the vacuoles are
the store rooms where all of the food is kept for the long journey, as nutrients are
literally stored in both.

Mitochrondrion:
In the cell the mitochondria converts chemical energy into usable energy for the
cell. The generators on a cruise ship are the same way, as they convert diesel fuel
to useful energy. Both create energy to use in the system they are part of.
Endoplasmic reticulum:

Materials are transported through the endoplasmic reticulum, as it is a series of

tubes. The hallways of the ship would most resemble this because all sorts of things
are transported throughout the ship via the hallways. Also they are both a series of
tubes.

Golgi apparatus:
The Golgi apparatus packages substances before they leave the cell, which they
receive from the endoplasmic reticulum. The post office on the ship is like this, as
both places prepare items for being shipped off of the ship.
Ribosomes:
The Ribosomes are like the staff of the ship. Ribosomes create protein, which in turn
allows everything to run smoothly in the cell. The staff on a cruise ship try and make
sure things are running, and perform many other jobs. That might be what protein
does, but its not like staff members are created anywhere on the ship, so staff
members will have to suffice.

Chloroplast:
Chloroplasts are like the fuel tanks on a ship. Chloroplasts rake in energy and
convert it to chemical energy which is then sent to the mitochondrion. Because they
give out the energy that is converted by the mitochondrion it makes sense that the
chloroplast would have diesel fuel, as it powers the generators that were compared
to the mitochondrion.

Cell wall:
The wall of the ship is like the cell wall because the ship wall does the same thing
that the cell wall does. The cell wall helps the cell maintain its shape, and protects
the cell from the outside environment.

Centrioles:
In the cell Centrioles are only used in mitosis and meiosis, which is when the cell
reproduces to either create another identical cell or a gamete. They have
microtubules on them that help pull apart the chromosomes, so there is the right
amount of DNA in each cell. Since DNA is essentially information packaged in a
really efficient form I think the clerks who work on a cruise ship might be like the

centrioles. They both deal with information and try and make sure it is sorted out
properly.
Cytoskeleton:
The cytoskeleton of a cell provides structural support for the cell, which helps it
maintain its shape. The inner hull of the ship also supports the structure of the ship,
which makes these two things very similar.

How the cell functions as an open system:

An open system is something that exchanges matter and energy with the
environment around it. The cell membrane regulates which mass is exchanged, and
which energy is allowed in in the form of nutrients. The Cytoplasm inside the cell
allows nutrients to move freely within the cell, and to move outside of the cell if
needed.

Bibliography:
http://us.sourcesecurity.com/news/articles/co-3108-ga.3204.html
http://www.zimbio.com/Travel+Cruises/articles/1685/How+store+electricity+cruise
+ships+Cruise
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/centriol.htm