Creating a cell membrane

The focus of today’s lab was to create a permeable structure using sticks and balls. But before we started creating the structure we read several articles that expanded our definition of the word permeability. While reading the first article we realized that human beings can also be described as permeable. For example, someone that is open and has an inviting personality can be seen as permeable just as a tablecloth can be seen as permeable. After thinking about the meaning behind the second article we saw that there is a connection between the rocks holes and the permeability of our thought processes. A permeable brain is a brain that allows different ideas to flow in it and this allows us to grow as people.

Once we finished reading these articles we spent a lot of time planning out how we wanted to build the structure. Three different structures were built during the process. Two membrane structures and one protein was created using a series of patterned stick and ball formations. Once each was individually constructed, our group then proceeded to connect all of the structures into one working system. At first our group was a little confused when deciding how to begin. Should we all start arranging one cohesive structure together? Or would it be better to work individually and then connect them? We found that the best way was to split the process. We had two membrane teams and a protein team. We knew that proteins were imbedded into  membranes so that was why we bonded those two together. One membrane was placed at the top of the structure and the other at the bottom. The protein stood between the two. In the end the molecule resembled one unit. The three parts were not distinguishable.