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Cheek and Onion Cell Lab

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This document describes a lab experiment using a compound light microscope to observe cheek cells and onion cells. Students are instructed to label the parts of the microscope, collect cheek cells by scraping the inside of their cheek, and isolate onion cells from onion skin. They then stain the cells with methylene blue or iodine and observe the cells under different magnifications of the microscope, sketching and labeling their observations. The lab aims to compare and contrast the structures of human and plant cells that can be seen with a light microscope.

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Cheek and Onion Cell Lab

Uploaded by

api-259776843
570 views6 pages
This document describes a lab experiment using a compound light microscope to observe cheek cells and onion cells. Students are instructed to label the parts of the microscope, collect cheek cells by scraping the inside of their cheek, and isolate onion cells from onion skin. They then stain the cells with methylene blue or iodine and observe the cells under different magnifications of the microscope, sketching and labeling their observations. The lab aims to compare and contrast the structures of human and plant cells that can be seen with a light microscope.

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cheek and onion cell lab

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This document describes a lab experiment using a compound light microscope to observe cheek cells and onion cells. Students are instructed to label the parts of the microscope, collect cheek cells by scraping the inside of their cheek, and isolate onion cells from onion skin. They then stain the cells with methylene blue or iodine and observe the cells under different magnifications of the microscope, sketching and labeling their observations. The lab aims to compare and contrast the structures of human and plant cells that can be seen with a light microscope.

Copyright:

© All Rights Reserved
Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
570 views6 pages

Cheek and Onion Cell Lab

Uploaded by

api-259776843
This document describes a lab experiment using a compound light microscope to observe cheek cells and onion cells. Students are instructed to label the parts of the microscope, collect cheek cells by scraping the inside of their cheek, and isolate onion cells from onion skin. They then stain the cells with methylene blue or iodine and observe the cells under different magnifications of the microscope, sketching and labeling their observations. The lab aims to compare and contrast the structures of human and plant cells that can be seen with a light microscope.

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Name%____________________________________%Date%_______________%Adv%_____________%

Cheek and Onion Cell Lab


!
Background!
Today%for%this%laboratory%we%will%be%using%a%compound%light%microscope.%A%microscope,%from%the%Greek%
for%“small%instrument%for%viewing,”%is%an%instrument%used%to%view%objects%that%are%too%small%to%be%easily%
seen%with%just%our%eyes%–%such%as%human%and%plant%cells.%
%
Before!We!Start!
Take%a%moment%to%label%the%parts%of%a%compound%light%microscope.%
!
Arm! Ocular!Lens! Power!Switch! Objective!Lenses!
Revolving!Nose!
Base! Course!Focus!Knob! Fine!Focus!Knob!
Piece!
Iris!Diaphragm! Projection!Lens! Stage! Stage!Clips!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
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!
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!
!
Introduction:%
Many%things%that%are%viewed%using%a%microscope,%particularly%cells,%can%appear%quite%transparent%under%
the%microscope.%The%internal%parts%of%the%cells,%the%organelles,%are%so%transparent%that%they%are%often%
difficult%to%see.%Biologists%have%developed%a%number%of%stains%that%help%them%see%the%cells%and%their%
organelles%by%adding%color%to%their%transparent%parts.%Today%we%will%be%using%methelyne%blue.%
%
Materials:%
H%Microscope%
H%Eyedropper%
H%2%flat%slides%
H%2%cover%slips%
H%Toothpick%
H%Cheek%cells%
H%Onion%cells%
H%Stain%(methylene%blue)%
H%Paper%towel%
%
Procedures:%
1.! There%are%two%different%stations%in%this%lab.%You%do%not%need%to%visit%them%in%any%particular%order,%
but%the%directions%follow%for%each.%
%
2.! Cheek!Cell!Station:!
%
a)! Place%a%drop%of%water%onto%the%middle%of%a%glass%slide.%
%
b)! Use%a%toothpick%to%lightly%scrape%the%inside%of%your%cheek,%and%then%roll%the%toothpick%around%
in%the%drop%of%water.%(Don't%worry;%these%cells%are%constantly%being%shed%from%your%mouth%so%
they%will%not%be%missed!)%You%must%IMMEDIATELY%throw%the%toothpick%away%in%the%trash%
when%you%are%done.%
%
c)! Add%ONE%drop%of%the%stain%methylene%blue%(this%will%help%stain%the%cells%so%you%can%see%them)%
and%cover%the%liquid%on%the%slide%with%a%cover%slip.%
%
d)! Place%the%slide%on%the%microscope.%Use%the%Scanning/Low%power/%4x%objective%to%focus,%look%
at%the%stained%slide%under%the%microscope.%You%probably%will%not%see%the%cells%at%this%power.%
Sketch%what%you%see%in%your%lab%packet%and%place%the%magnification%next%to%the%drawing.%
%
e)! Switch%to%low%power.%Cells%should%be%visible,%but%they%will%be%small%and%look%like%nearly%clear%
blobs%(stained%cells%will%be%easier%to%see).%Solid%dark%objects%are%probably%not%cellular.%Sketch%
what%you%see%in%your%lab%packet.%%
%
f)! Once%you%think%you%have%located%a%cell,%switch%to%a%high%power%and%refocus.%Sketch%what%you%
see%in%your%lab%packet.%
%
g)! Clean%up%after%yourself%before%you%move%to%the%next%lab%station.%
!
3.! Onion!Lab!Station:!
%
a)! Get%a%glass%slide%and%cover%slip%for%yourself%and%make%sure%they%are%both%thoroughly%clean.%
%
b)! Using%one%of%the%cut%sections%of%onions%at%your%station,%remove%the%single%layer%of%epidermal%
cells%from%the%inner%(concave)%side%of%the%scale%leaf%(The%thinner%the%better).%
%
c)! Place%the%single%layer%of%onion%on%a%glass%slide.%Make%sure%that%you%do%not%fold%it%over%or%
wrinkle%it.%%
%
d)! Place%a%drop%of%iodine%stain%on%your%onion%tissue.%%
%
e)! Put%the%cover%slip%on%the%stained%tissue%and%gently%tap%out%any%air%bubbles.%%
%
f)! Observe%the%cells%under%4x,%10x,%and%40x.%Sketch%what%you%see%in%your%lab%packet.%
%
g)! Clean%up%after%yourself%before%you%move%on%to%the%next%lab%station.%
!

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!
DATA:!
CHEEK!CELLS!
!
In%the%circles%below,%draw%what%you%see%through%the%microscope.%On%the%HIGH%magnification,%label!the!
nucleus,!cytoplasm,!and!cell!membrane.%Draw%your%cells%to%scale%and%include%the%magnification.%
Underneath%each%circle,%write!down!anything!you!observed!about%your%cheek%cells.%
%
Scanning%(______x)%% % % % % % Low%(______x)%
%
%
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% % % % % %
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%
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%
High%(________x)%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
ONION!CELLS!
!
In%the%circles%below,%draw%what%you%see%through%the%microscope.%On%the%HIGH%magnification,%label%the%
nucleus,%cytoplasm,%and%cell%wall.%Draw%your%cells%to%scale%and%include%the%magnification.%Underneath%
each%circle,%write!down!anything!you!observed%about%the%onion%cells.%
%
%
Scanning%(______x)%% % % % % % Low%(______x)%
%
%
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% % % % % %
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High%(________x)%
%
%
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%
Analysis:!
%
The%light%microscope%used%in%this%lab%is%not%powerful%enough%to%view%other%organelles%in%the%
cheek%cell.%Fill%out%the%table%below%to%show%what%we%could%and%could%not%see%through%our%microscope.%
%
Cheek!Cells!
What!Organelles!COULD!be!Seen?! What!Organelles!COULD!NOT!be!Seen?!
% %

%
Onion!Cells!
What!Organelles!COULD!be!Seen?! What!Organelles!COULD!NOT!be!Seen?!
% %

%
%
Conclusion:!
In%complete%sentences,%answer%the%following%questions.%
%
1.%What%type%of%cell%did%the%cheek%cell%represent?%What%about%the%onion%cell?%
%

2.%What%were%the%shapes%of%the%two%different%types%of%cells?%%

3.%Why%did%we%have%to%stain%the%cells?%%
%

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