Plant and Animal Cells

Write your own aim.

Aim:
________________________________________________________________________

Materials:
Piece of onion
Forceps
Iodine stain
Methyl blue stain
Light microscope
Microscope slide and cover slip
Pipette
Cotton bud
Method for Onion cells
1. Get a small piece of onion
2. Using the forceps, gently remove the single cell layer from the inside of your onion slice
3. Place the onion epidermal sample gently onto a clean glass slide ensuring that it is flat
4. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens
5. Add a drop of iodine to the epidermal layer and place a glass coverslip gently down on top
of your onion cells sample
6. Put the slide on the stage of your microscope and focus in on your onion cells using
different magnifications.
7. Observe and draw a labelled diagram of what you see

Observations
Onion Cells
Magnification: ______
What can you see when no dye was used?




What can you see once the dye has been added?









Method for Cheek cells
1. Using the cotton bud, gently swab the inside of one of your cheeks
2. Rub the cotton bud on a clean glass slide
3. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens
4.Add a drop of methyl blue to the sample and place a glass coverslip gently down on top of
your cheek cells sample.
5. Put the slide on the stage of your microscope and focus in on your cheek cells using
different magnifications.
6. Observe and make a labelled drawing of what you see.

Observations
Cheek Cells
Magnification: _____
What can you see when not dye was used?




What can you see once dye has been added?


























Plant and Animal Cells
Write your own aim.
Aim: _______________________________________________________________________
Materials:
Piece of onion
Forceps
Iodine stain
Methyl blue stain
Light microscope
Microscope slide and cover slip
Pipette
Cotton bud
Method for Onion cells
1. Get a small piece of onion
2. Using the forceps, gently remove the single cell layer from the inside of your onion slice
3. Place the onion epidermal sample gently onto a clean glass slide ensuring that it is flat
4. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens
5. Add a drop of iodine to the sample and place a glass cover slip carefully down on top of
your onion cells sample.
6. Put the slide on the stage of your microscope
7. Use the 4x lens focus in on your onion cells and then change to the 10x lens.
7. Observe and draw a labelled diagram of what you see


Observations
Onion Cells
Magnification: ______
What can you see when not dye was used?


What can you see once dye has been added?

Plant Cells
Cell wall
Cell membrane
Chloroplast
Cytoplasm
Nucleus




Method for Cheek cells
1. Using the cotton bud, gently rub the inside of one of your cheeks as shown
2. Rub the cotton bud on a clean glass slide
3. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens
4. Add a drop of methyl blue to the slide and place a glass cover slip carefully down on top
of your cells
5. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope
6. Use the 4x lens focus in on your cheek cells and then change to the 10x lens.
7. Observe and draw a labelled diagram of what you see.



Observations
Cheek Cells
Magnification: _____
What can you see when not dye was used?




What can you see once dye has been added?






Animal Cells
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane












Plant and Animal Cells
Aim:
To observe both animal and plant cells under a light microscope and identify their key
features.

Materials:
Piece of onion
Forceps
Iodine stain
Methyl blue stain
Light microscope
Microscope slide and cover slip
Pipette
Cotton bud
Method for Onion cells
1. Get a small piece of onion
2. Using the forceps, gently remove the single cell layer from the inside of your onion slice
3. Place the onion sample carefully onto a clean glass slide ensuring that it remains flat
4. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens
5. Add a drop of iodine to the onion layer and place a glass cover slip carefully down on
top of the onion cells
6. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and use the 4x lens to focus
7. Then change to the 10x lens
8. Observe and draw a labelled diagram of what you see

Observations
Onion Cells
Magnification: ______
Identify the cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane.
What size and shape are these cells?


Are these cells joined? What do they look similar to?



Plant Cells:
Cell wall cellulose wall outside of the cell membrane
of a plant cell, which gives the cell a stiff structure and
strength.
Nucleus an organelle that controls cellular growth and
reproduction and contains genetic information.
Cytoplasm The entire contents of the cell, exclusive of the
nucleus, and bounded by the plasma membrane.
Cell membrane membrane surrounding the cells cytoplasm
which controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell.

Chloroplast organelles which contain chlorophyll where
photosynthesis occurs

Method for Cheek cells
1. Using the cotton bud, gently swab the inside of one of your cheeks
2. Rub the cotton bud on a clean glass slide
4. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and view with no dye and no cover slip using
the 4x lens 4.Add a drop of methyl blue to the sample and place a glass cover slip carefully
down on top of your cheek cells sample
5. Put the slide on the stage of your microscope and use the 4x lens focus
6. Now change to the 10x lens
7. Observe and draw a labelled diagram of what you see



Observations


Cheek Cells
Magnification: _____
Identify the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane.
What difference did the
What is the shape and size of these cells?


How do these cells differ from the onion cells?





Animal Cells:
Nucleus an organelle that controls cellular growth and
reproduction and contains genetic information
Cell membrane membrane surrounding the cells cytoplasm
which controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell.