Activity on MITOTIC CELLS

In this investigation, you will examine cells of onion (Allium cepa) root tips to observe the different stages of mitosis. Part I. Observing Dividing Cells Procedure: 1. Obtain a prepared slide of longitudinal sections of an onion root tip. 2. Using the scanning objective, locate the zone of division preceding the root cap. 3. Look for cells undergoing the various stages of division using the key below. 4. Show your teacher some of the stages you have identified for confirmation. 5. Answer the questions that follow on a sheet of pad paper.
KEY TO IDENTIFYING CELL DIVISION STAGE A. Nuclear membrane and nucleolus visible B. Chromosomes not visible C. Cell is of normal size. C. Two adjacent cells, smaller in size than most of the other cells, separated by a thin line. B. Chromosomes are visible as long and slender threads. A. Nuclear membrane and nucleolus lacking. D. cell contains one set of chromosomes E. Chromosomes loosely arranged in the center of the cell. E. Chromosomes are arranged on the equatorial plate. D. cell contains two sets of chromosomes F. Two sets of chromatids widely separated, nearer to either pole of the cell, farther from the equator. G. No visible partial line between the two sets of widely separated chromatids. G. Center of the cell shows the beginning of a cell plate (partial line); nuclear membrane starting to reform. F. Two sets of chromatids only slightly separated

Interphase 2 daughter cell phase Early prophase

Late prophase Metaphase

Late anaphase Telophase Early Anaphase

Analyze and Conclude: 1. Why were plant root tip cells used for viewing cell division? 2. If you were to observe cell division of animals, what specific type of animal cells would you use? Explain your reasons. 3. How would cell division in plant cells differ from that of animal cells? Use a Venn diagram organize your response. 4. At what stage of mitosis is it easiest to determine the kind and number of chromosomes? Explain your reasons. 5. What evidence did you observe that shows mitosis is a continuous process, not a series of separate events? 6. What specific process in mitosis ensures that the normal number of chromosomes is restored after each cell division? Explain your response.

MITOTICCELLSActivity

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Part II. Determine the Frequency of Cell Division Procedure: 1. Count 20 adjacent cells in the meristematic region of the onion root and record whether the cells are in interphase or division phase. On a sheet of pad paper, record the number of cells in interphase and the number of cells that are actively dividing. 2. Calculate the percentage of cells that are dividing using the following formula:
Number of cells dividing 100 = ___% dividing Total number of cells counted

3. Create a circle graph showing the percentage of cells in division phase and percentage of cells in interphase. Label the diagrams appropriately.

Part III. Creating a Cell-Division Clock Procedure: 1. Under HPO, locate 50 onion root cells that are dividing. Do not include cells that are between divisions. Identify the phase of mitosis each cell is in. Record the number of cells in each phase. 2. Calculate the percentage of cells that are in each of these four phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. 3. Construct a circle graph showing the percentage of cells in each phase of mitosis. Include labels and titles. 4. If it takes 12 h for onions to complete one cycle of mitosis, determine the time spent in each phase. Include this information in your circle graphs. Synthesize and Conclude 1. The number of animal cells in each phase of mitosis is recorded in the table below. If the time taken to complete one cycle of mitosis was 15h, create a cell-division clock to represent the data. Mitotic phase prophase metaphase anaphase telophase Number of cells in phase 15 20 10 5

2. Do your observations on onion root tip cells indicate that there were more cells in some phases than in others? Identify the most common phase/s and explain what these differences in numbers might mean.

MITOTICCELLSActivity

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