Activity 1 - Preparing Plant and Animal Cell Slides

Activity 1 Preparing Plant and Animal Cell Slides
Preparing onion cell slides is a useful way to observe simple plant cells under the light
microscope. The thin membrane from between the layers of a raw onion provides a good
material for viewing plant cells. Preparation of a thin section is quite straightforward and
the cells in the onion skin (or membrane) are readily visible. In this activity you are
going to use practical skills in preparing and observing an onion cell slide using the
compound light microscope and to examine the structures of actual plant and animal
cells. To compare actual cell structures seen using the compound light microscope to
structures in the books.
Reagents/Materials Needed:
Distilled water Cover slip
Iodine scalpel or blade
Methylene blue solution (weak) ruler
Compound light microscope plastic dropper pipette
Fresh Onion toothpick
Tweezers dry tissue
Microscope slide gloves
Prepared by: RICHARD R. SAGCAL QCSCHS

July 2017
SAFETY:
1. Be careful when using a scalpel- IT IS SHARP!
2. Cut the onion on the white tile provided for you- it provides a hard surface. Cut
with the onion facing away from you.
3. Methylene blue stain is a poison. Keep your hands away from your face. Be
careful it will stain your hands and clothing! Wash your hands thoroughly before
you leave the lab.
4. Be careful when mounting slide unto microscope and focusing. Read notes in
handout again on how to focus a specimen if necessary. MICROSCOPES ARE
EXPENSIVE!!
Procedures:
Preparing Plant Cell (Onion) Wet Mount

1. Collect all the materials needed (carry the microscope carefully).
2. Use tweezers carefully to peel off a thin layer of epidermis from the onion.
3. Lay the membrane on the microscope slide in a single flat layer.
4. Drop an ample amount of distilled water on to the membrane of the sample to
prepare a wet mount.
5. Carefully lower a cover slip on top of the membrane (make sure to avoid air
bubbles).
6. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope.
7. Make sure the lowest objective lens is over the specimen.
8. Carefully use the course focusing knob to lower the objective lens to just above
the slide.
9. Look through the eye piece and carefully use the fine focusing knob to focus the
image.
10. Take pictures of the image formed in the microscope, draw and label the
structures of the onion cell. Write your observation about the onion tissue.
11. Carefully change the objective lens so that you are looking through a higher
powered one, you will be able to see the cells at a higher magnification. Under
high power students should be able to see more detail and identify different
structures (e.g. nucleus which should appear as a solid dot, cell membrane, cell
wall, cytoplasm).
12. Complete all magnification calculations of the biological drawing.
13. Repeat the entire procedures but this time use iodine instead of distilled water.
14. Clear away and wash hands. Dispose onion tissue in garbage can and return all
materials and clean up la station.
Preparing Animal Cell (Cheek) Wet Mount

1. Obtain a slide and cover slip. Clean with lens paper if necessary.
2. Obtain cheek tissue by scratching the inside of your mouth (cheek area) with a
toothpick.
3. Prepare the wet mount using the procedure in your notes.
4. Place wet mount on the stage of the microscope.
5. Observe the cheek cells with the microscope using the procedure in your notes.
6. Draw a biological drawing of the cheek cells. Label all the structures you see.
7. Complete all magnification calculations of the biological drawing.
8. Clean the slide and cover slip with water.
9. Return all materials and clean up lab station.
Data and Observations:

Plant Cell
Total Magnification ______ Total Magnification ______

Animal Cell

______________________ _______________________
Pre-lab Questions:
1. How to use a light compound microscope?
2. How to prepare a wet mount?
3. Why is iodine better that distilled water in staining the plant cell?
4. Why is 0.9M NaCl necessary in preparing animal cell slides?
5. Compare the biological pictures for both cells (animal and plant cells).
6. How do the biological drawings of the plant and animal cells compare with the
ones in your textbook.
Post-lab Discussions:
Answer in complete sentences.
1. According to your observations in this lab and your book and notes, create a Venn
diagram to illustrate the structural similarities and differences between plant and
animal cells.
2. Which organelles (that you read about or that we discussed in class) did you not see
in this lab? Why do you think you were unable to see these organelles in your slides?
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Activity 1 - Preparing Plant and Animal Cell Slides

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Activity 1 Preparing Plant and Animal Cell Slides

Prepared by: RICHARD R. SAGCAL QCSCHS

Preparing Plant Cell (Onion) Wet Mount

Preparing Animal Cell (Cheek) Wet Mount

Data and Observations:

Total Magnification Total Magnification

Total Magnification Total Magnification

Total Magnification Total Magnification

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