You Need a Microscope to See the Real Thing

The Pony is not known for his artistic ability. Sure, he can write science fiction and fantasy like a champ, and he's a winner and second-placer in the Voice of Democracy speech contest, and he blared a trombone for five years. But when it comes to creating visual artistry with his hands, he's been a bit of a bust.

Until now.

Lest you think this is simply a bit of whimsy, The Pony's rendering of a hazardous section of floor marked off when Augustus Gloop lost his before-dinner snacks and after-dinner snacks...let the record show that it was a school project. For a grade.

For those of you who are not scientifically inclined, let the record further show that this is a cell. Though it has the rigid structure of a plant cell, it is indeed an animal cell. You can tell by the lack of a cell wall and chloroplasts. I find the rough endoplasmic reticulum particularly appealing.

The whole project had to be edible, which explains the cut marks for serving it up to his classmates. Real animal cells do not have their cytoplasm divided into rectangles.

When Genius did this project several years ago, he used a big cookie as the base. The Pony asked his grandma to make him her famous Rice Krispie Treats with peanut butter and a hard chocolate icing. At first leery that she might cause an untimely death, Grandma made The Pony swear that no kids in his class or using his desk have a peanut allergy.

The Pony reported that his Cell Krispie Treat was a rousing success. And that once upon a time, a kid had created his cell with a slice of white bread and raisins and mustard and ketchup, and other organelles not nearly so tasty as Kit Kats and Rollos and Twizzler Bites.

The project only cost me $25. I have a feeling The Bread Cell was a bit less.