December

4, 2014
Plant and Animal Microscopy Lab Day 1
Guiding Questions:
What are the similarities and differences between bulb storage cells and leaf cells
(structure and function)?
Which parts of plant cells are visible under the compound microscope (stomata, nuclei,
cell walls, etc.)?
What are the differences between the structure and function of plant and animal cells?
Objectives:
Students will be able to create wet mounts of plant samples in order to investigate the
properties of living cells.
Students will be able to compare and contrast different types of plant cells (bulb cells
vs. leaf cells) in order to understand how the form of a cell affects its function.
Standards:
- BIO.A.1.2.2: Describe and interpret relationships between structure and function at
various levels of biological organization (i.e., organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ
systems, and multicellular organisms).
- BIO.A.4.1: Identify the cell structures involved in transport of materials into and out of a
cell.
Materials: Active Inspire slides w/ instructions, hand out for the day (given Friday), 2 glass
slides (per group), 2 cover slips (per group), pipette, water, Onion bulb tissue, Wandering
Jew leaf tissue, forceps, microscope, iodine, 2 containers per group (1 for iodine, 1 for
water), lab books, hand out for day 2 (homework).
DO NOW: 10 minutes (1 for transition)
Slide with do now instructions will be visible for students when they first enter classroom:
In your lab books under background research:
Using your knowledge about organelles, write 4 sentences explaining similarities
and differences between the structure and/or function of plant and animal cells. (5
minutes)
I will be coming around with the grade book and cookies for those who did the pre-lab!
Lets share 2 similarities and 2 differences between the plant and animal cells. (4 minutes)
Introduction: 10 minutes (2 Extra)
Today and tomorrow we will be using compound microscopes to investigate the
structural differences between plant and animal cells. You already know some of the
differences between the organelles present in these cells. Today we will start off by looking at
the differences between the cells in two different types of tissue within a plant. Tomorrow we
will look at animal tissue and will be compare our observations of the animal cells with our
observations of the plant cells from today. This means you should be writing detailed
descriptions of structures you see, which may include drawing pictures and taking photos! (3
minutes)

Today you will be making wet mounts of Onion cells and the leaf cells of a Wandering
Jew plant. You will be staining the onion cells with iodine. From the homework- what will
change black when we add iodine (think about the macromolecules lab). Then you will record
your observations and compare and contrast these cells using a Venn diagram with your data

(pictures, structures present, function of these cells). Does anyone have any questions about a
Venn diagram? (2 minutes)

I will show you how to extract cells from the onion and leaf. We will give you a layer of
onion. If it has skin on it, you will just peel of a little bit of skin to place on your slide in the
middle of your drop of iodine. (Show how to do this). Follow the procedure to do the rest. For
the leaf cell, you will gently scrape the cells off the underside of the leaf using your forceps.
Then, complete the wet mount and observe both slides carefully, collecting data.

Lab pairs will get one microscope and share their supplies with their lab group. Each
pair will make 1 onion slide and 1 wandering jew slide. Go! (3 minutes)
Gathering Materials: (3 minutes)
Lab: 25 minutes
Clean up & Verbal description of Conclusion, Homework: 4 minutes
End of Class:
Conclusion:
Under your conclusion, you will answer the questions listed on the screen:
1. What are 2 similarities and 2 differences between the Onion (storage cells) and the
Wandering Jew leaf cell?
2. What do these differences tell us about the functioning of the cells (What do these cells
do differently for the plant)?
3. Describe something about this lab that surprised you.
Posted on screen
For homework (Due tomorrow): BRING LAB BOOKS HOME
Enter the information for tomorrows lab into your lab books.
This includes: Title, purpose, questions, your hypotheses, materials, procedures, space for
data.

Student Hand Out (Received on the day before lab)

Plant and Animal Cell Microscopy Lab Day 1

Purpose: To create wet mount slides of bulb cells and leaf cells, making observations and
comparing and contrasting 2 types of plant cells.
Homework Due Monday, December 7, in lab books: *You will get a treat if complete!
You will write the title, purpose and leave a space for Background Information (4 lines).
Also, write the questions, your hypotheses, and the materials and procedures for day 1.
Questions: We will be staining the onion cells with iodine. Remembering that we used
iodine to test for starch in the macromolecules lab, which parts of the Onion do you think
will be stained black? Which parts of the onion cell and leaf cell will be different?
Day 1 Materials: 2 slides, 2 cover slips, pipette, water, Onion bulb tissue, Wandering Jew
leaf tissue, forceps, microscope, iodine.
Day 1 Procedures:
1. Add one drop of water to each slide.
2. Obtain a slice of onion and peel off a small section of the skin or the outer onion
using the forceps.
3. Place specimen on slide.
4. Add a drop of iodine on top of your sample.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Place the cover slip over your sample, angling it down to keep air bubbles out.
Obtain a piece of the wandering jew leaf and scrape off cells from its underside.
Place specimen on slide with forceps.
Place the cover slip on top of your sample (angling).
View both slides and record observations in the Data section. Complete the Venn
Diagram. Take photos if you have a phone! (We will compare these to the animal
cells tomorrow)

DATA: Include pictures, structures, and functions of the different cells.

Leaf Tissue
Bulb Tissue

BOTH


Color:
Color:




Shape of cell:
Shape of cell:

Organization of cells:

Organization of cells:

Function:

Function:

Drawing:

Drawing:

Student
Photographs,
2014:

Leaf Cells
Under 10x
Magnification

Onion Cells, 4x Magnification