ATENEO de DAVAO UNIVERSITY SCORE/RATING

Senior High School

E. Jacinto Street, Davao City, Philippines

GENERAL BIOLOGY 1
LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 1
LIVING CELLS

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Teacher: ___________________________________ Date Submitted: _________________________
Group No: ________________Group Name: __________________ Section: ___________________

OBJECTIVES

In this laboratory activity, the students will:

1. identify the main parts of the cell; and
2. observe whatever cellular structures are visible under the microscope.

INTRODUCTION

The cell is the basic unit of structure of life. It is responsible for initiating, directing, regulating and
coordinating all life sustaining chemical reactions. In this activity, you will be given the chance to consider
the composition of living cell both in plants and animals.

MATERIALS
Onions (to be provided by the learners) elodea forceps
Iodine or Methylene blue glass slide cover slip
microscope toothpick razor blade
medicine dropper forceps

PROCEDURE

Part A.
1. Cut the onion lengthwise, remove the thick scale and peel the transparent tissue from the
inner surface.
2. Mount it on the slide with a drop of water.
3. Place the cover slip.
4. Be sure water comes to its edges, but not beyond.
5. Examine the living cell under low power and high power objectives. Identify the visible parts.

LPO (_____ X) HPO (______X)

 Question 1: What is the shape of the observed specimen?
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6. Place a drop of methylene blue stain on one edge of the cover glass.
Question 2: What is its shape?
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7. Switch to HPO and look at the nucleus again.

Question 3. Where is the nucleus located in the cell?
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Part B.
1. Take one elodea from the beaker and break off one of the younger leaves.
2. Place the leaf with its underside up in a drop of water on a clean slide.
3. Put on a cover glass and look at this leaf under LPO.

LPO (_______ X) HPO (________X)

Question 4. What are these green bodies found within the leaf?
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Question 5. Do you think that these elodea cells have the same function as those of the onion
you have viewed? Why or why not?
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Question 6. Compare and contrast the two kinds of living cells you have just viewed. How are
they like?
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 Part C.
1. Rinse your mouth out with water.
2. With the end of a toothpick, gently scrape the inside of your cheek.
3. On a glass slide, place a drop of water and add the cheek scrapings.
4. Stir scrapings with a toothpick until drop becomes cloudy.
5. Add a small drop of iodine? into a specimen.
6. Place a cover glass on the slide and view under LPO and HPO.

LPO (_______ X) HPO (________X)

Question 7. How do you describe the edge of this kind of cell compared with the plant cells
you observed?
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Question 8. How do you compare the shape of the plant cells you observe with the animal
cell?
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Question 9. Do your observations support the ideas of both Schwann and Virchow? Why or
why not?
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

GENERALIZATION