Re: What is the best material to use to make an amoeba cell model?

Hello J.J.
Sounds like a cool assignment. One thing Amoebas have in common are
so-called pseudopods; this means something like not-really-feet. This
little organism is like a rather flimsy bag that can send out tentacles
(the pseudopods) to pull itself forward, or you could even say that it kind
of rolls forward by moving parts of it’s one-cell body in the direction it
intends to go.

Take a look at http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/moviegallery/pondscum/protozoa/amoeba/
Here they have some very nice movies.

I’m not so sure how one would create a model of pseudopods because this
implies that your model should be able to shift forms. My suggestion is
that you experiment with a transparent plastic bag. If you fill it with
just enough water for it to be filled but be still very flat if you lay it
on a table, you will be close to the real thing.

I have no idea what help you have to make your model, but if you can get
hold of a heat sealer for plastic, maybe you could create some interesting
form for the plastic bag. But have an adult with you for this, as the
combination water and electric machinery is rather dangerous.

I would consider putting things inside the bag too. Take a much smaller
plastic bag and fill it with blue-tinted water: this could be the nucleus.
Have some pink and yellow pieces of jello for other organelles. Or, for
that matter, fill the bag with mostly jello, just adding water to remove
all air.

I hope this will help you create a great plastic amoeba!