Download Observing Cell Parts and Processes

Name: _____________________
Observing Cell Parts and Processes
PART ONE: Prepared Slides
1. Obtain a slide from the area labeled PLANT CELLS
2. Focus the slide under low power, then under medium power and finally high power.
3. Sketch What you see in the circle below
4. Around how many cells can you see in the slide? ___________________
5. Label the nucleus, cell membrane and cell wall for one cell in your picture above.
6. What other organelles can you identify? List them here and then label them on your sketch.
7. Obtain a slide from the area labeled ANIMAL CELL
8. Focus the slide under low power, then under medium power and finally high power.
9. Sketch What you see in the circle below
10. Around how many cells can you see in the slide? ___________________
11. Label the nucleus, and cell membrane for one cell in your picture above.
12. What other organelles can you identify? List them here and then label them on your sketch.
PART TWO: Wet Mounts
13. Obtain a small piece of onionskin and prepare a wet mount using only one drop of water. Remember to
place your coverslip on by holding it at a 45-degree angle and then carefully dropping it onto the slide.
You should not have any air bubbles on the slide.
14. Now using a pipette place one drop of iodine solution at one end of the coverslip. Hold a piece of
paper towel near the opposite edge of the coverslip, as instructed by your teacher. This will draw the
iodine under the coverslip, where it will stain the onion cells.
15. Examine your slide under low power. Sketch one cell below and label any structures that you see.
16. Would a concentrated salt solution be isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic to the cell? _____________
17. What do you predict would happen if you placed a cell in a concentrated salt solution? Be as specific
as possible.
18. Using the same procedure as above, create a wet mount for an elodea leaf using the concentrated salt
solution instead of regular water. You do not need to add iodine.
19. Observe the elodea leaf cell under low and the high power for awhile. It may take a minute or two to
begin to see the effects – be patient and keep observing. Describe what you see happening in terms
of osmosis. Try and be specific.
20. What organelle is responsible for the process you are observing in the elodea leaf cell? Explain your
answer.
21. If you placed the elodea leaf cell in distilled water (very low salt concentration) what do you think
would happen? Would the cell shrink or swell? If it swells will it burst? Why or why not?
22. Obtain a clean slide, and tooth pick. Place one drop of water onto the slide. Use the toothpick to
scrape the inside of your cheek. Now swirl the toothpick in the drop of water, releasing the cheek
cells.
23. Place one drop of methyl blue on the water/cheek mixture. Now carefully place a cover slip onto the
slide.
24. Examine your slide under Medium power centering on a few cheek cells. Sketch what you see labeling
all appropriate parts.
25. How does this slide differ from the onion slide you prepared?
General Questions
26. List all the structures you were able to observe in the cells on the various slides.
27. If you didn’t observe a particular structure like the endoplasmic reticulum, does that mean that it
doesn’t exist in the cell? Explain.
28. What kind of cells seem to have a more defined shape? A more rounded shape? Explain.
29. What structures may be involved in determining a cell’s shape?
PART THREE: PLANT vs. ANIMAL CELLS
30. Obtain three mystery slides from your teacher and complete the chart below
Slide Letter
Plant or Animal
Reason for your choice