Microscope Observations Of Plant Cells

Name: _________________________________________________Core Group: ________________Date: ________ Microscope Observations of Plant Cells Introduction​: For this activity you are going to look at two cells that have unique function in the plants they came from. One sample is from an aquatic plant and one is from an onion. Using your background knowledge and observations you will determine which sample is photosynthetic and which is not. (Aka, which cell performs photosynthesis and which does not).

Hypothesis: ​Use the space provided to predict which cell you think performs photosynthesis and which cell does not: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Procedure: 1. Make a wet mount slide of an ​aquatic leaf​: a. Materials are on the front table, you will need: a microscope slide, a coverslip, pipette for water, and a small piece of the aquatic plant. b. Place a small piece of the aquatic plant on the microscope slide. c. On top of the leaf sample, place a small drop of water using the pipette.

d. Carefully place the coverslip on top of the water droplet and leaf sample. Add the coverslip at an angle and slowly lower it on top of the slide:

2. Use the microscope to observe the leaf under the ​highest​ ​power possible and draw and describe what you see in the space provided in the data/observation section (​remember to begin on low power and move up to high power once the microscope is in focus​). 3. Check with those around you to make sure that what you are seeing is similar to what they are seeing, and check in with a teacher before moving on to the next step. 4. Clean up the slide following the instructions provided by your teacher. 5. Following a similar procedure as above, you will prepare a wet mount slide of an onion using ​iodine​ instead of water so the cells are visible under the microscope. Please note these cells need to be stained – ​be very careful​! The stain will dye your skin and your clothes. 6. Use the microscope to see the onion under the ​highest power possible​ and draw and describe what you see in the space provided in the data/observation section. 7. Check with those around you to make sure that what you are seeing is similar to what they are seeing and check in again with a teacher before moving on to the analysis questions 8. Throw out the onion. Rinse off the slide and coverslip, place it to dry on a paper towel.

Data/Observations: Aquatic Leaf Cells: Sketch

Description

Total Magnification: ___________ Teacher’s Initials: _____________ Onion Cells: Sketch

Description

Total Magnification: ___________ Teacher’s Initials _____________

Analysis & Conclusions To answer these questions look back at your data ( aka observations) and provide thoughtful and well-supported ideas. 1. Compare​ the aquatic leaf cells to the onion cells. What is the ​same​ about them? 2. Contrast​ the aquatic leaf cells to the onion cells. What is ​different​ about them?

3. Based on your observations, which cell performs photosynthesis? (​HINT​: We know animal cells ​do not ​perform photosynthesis, compare the structures of the two plant cells to the animal cell. Look on the overhead for a picture of an animal cell.)

4. Why do you think the differences between these two plant cells exist? Why would one cell perform photosynthesis while the other does not? (Think about the location of the plants during growth)

5. Describe the structure that is present in the photosynthetic cell (performs photosynthesis) and the Non-photosynthetic cell?

6. Using your chromebook to research, answer the following question in 3-4 sentences: Why can plants perform photosynthesis? (make sure you name the structure where photosynthesis takes place.)