Download Objective: To compare different types of cells from various plants

Comparing Plant Cells
Objective: To compare different types of cells from various plants.
Materials: microscope, slides, cover slips, forceps, various plant materials, iodine
Procedures:
 Sketch all drawings and write all answers on your own sheet of notebook paper to turn in.
 Your drawings should be accurate. Feel free to use colored pencils to enhance the details.
Be sure to label the organelles you see and include magnification!
Elodea (freshwater plant)
1. Remove a leaf from the Elodea sample in the front of the room. Place on a slide with a
drop of water. Place a coverslip on the top.
2. Examine the structures under the microscope (remember to start on low power). If
possible, look at the Elodea under high power. You should see chloroplasts and cell walls.
3. Do you see any of the chloroplasts moving? This is called cytoplasmic streaming.
4. Draw 5 Elodea cells on high power. Label the magnification. Also, label the cell walls and
chloroplasts.
Potato
1. Obtain a small sliver of the potato from the teacher. Place it on your slide. Add a drop of
iodine and add a coverslip.
2. Examine the structures under the microscope. Focus on low power. The dark blue/black
spots are leucoplasts, which store starch in potato cells.
3. Draw a group of 5 cells under low power. You can draw these under a higher
magnification if you can get them into focus. Label the magnification and the leucoplasts.
Onion
1. Take a small piece of onion from the front of the room. Place it on a slide and add a drop
of iodine and a coverslip. Focus under low power. If possible, focus under a higher
power.
2. Draw a group of 5 cells. Label the cell wall and the nucleus. (You may even be able to see
the nucleolus inside the nucleus!)
Conclusions:
Draw the following data table on your piece of paper and fill in the table based on what you could
see. (You can just check the box if appropriate.)
PLANT
Elodea
Potato
Onion
Cell wall
Nucleus
Chloroplasts
Leucoplasts
Nucleolus
Answer the following conclusion questions:
1. What are the similarities and differences in the Elodea, Potato, and Onion cells?
2. Bonus: If you were looking at the cells found in a tomato’s skin AND the cells found in the
tomato’s pulp (fleshy inside part), where would you expect the vacuoles to be the largest?
Why?