Standard 2

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe the function and diversity of
organelles and structures in various types of cells (e.g., muscle cells having a large amount of
mitochondria, plasmids in bacteria, and chloroplasts in plant cells).
Understanding: Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Demonstration

Show the Amazing Cell website: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/scale/

Students can see a scale version of different cell types and how they compare to other cells,
bacteria, paramecium, blood cells, and many other things. Great introduction to getting students
excited about cells and the many parts of cells. Helps students grasp concept of cell size in
comparison to other more common objects.

Understanding: Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Lab
Onion & Cheek Cell Lab
Purpose: In this lab, you will prepare and observe cells from both a plant (onion) and an animal
(your own cheek!!).
Materials: You will need the following materials: glass slide, coverslip, toothpick, iodine stain,
onion tissue, and your own cheek.
Assignment: Your assignment is to prepare and observe as many samplings of both types of
cells as possible and sketch them in the spaces provided on the back of this sheet. You are also
required, on your sketch, to label any visible parts or organelles, as well as list what
magnification you used. Lastly, you need to write down any other interesting observations
(difference between cells, cool things you saw, etc.) on this sheet or another piece of paper.
Procedure:
For the onion cell:
1. Get a glass slide and place a small amount of onion tissue in the center.
2. Add a small drop of iodine stain directly to the tissue. Careful, iodine is not toxic, but it will
stain both your skin and your clothes.
3. Place a coverslip over the newly stained tissue.
4. Put the slide on the microscope, making sure the microscope is on LOW POWER!
5. Go through the three powers, focusing each time, making sketches, and writing down
observations. Be sure to write what magnification you used for each sketch.
6. Be sure to label any parts you see. You may be able to see: cell wall, nucleus, and cytoplasm.
For the cheek cell:
1. Clean off your slide from above or get a clean slide (in case you want to compare them later.
2. Add a drop of iodine to the empty slide.
3. Using the blunt (not sharp) end of a toothpick, gently scrape the inside of your cheek.
4. Swirl the toothpick end, now with cheek cells, in the iodine drop on the slide.
5. Place a coverslip on the stained cheek cells.
6. Observe under the microscope like you did for the onion cell above.

Understanding: Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Questions
1. List the 3 parts of the Cell Theory
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
2. Describe or define each of the following
--cell membrane _____________________________
--cytoplasm _________________________________
--nucleus ___________________________________
--organelle ________________________________
3. Sketch the cell at low and high power. Label the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane of a
single cell. Draw your cells to scale.

Low Power

High Power

5. Why is methylene blue necessary?

6. The light microscope used in the lab is not powerful enough to view other organelles in the
cheek cell. What parts of the cell were visible.

6. List 2 organelles that were NOT visible but should have been in the cheek cell.
7. Is the cheek cell a eukaryote or prokaryote? How do you know?
8. Keeping in mind that the mouth is the first site of chemical digestion in a human. Your saliva
starts the process of breaking down the food you eat. Keeping this in mind, what organelle do
you think would be numerous inside the cells of your mouth?