Name:

_______________________________________ Date:_________________ HR: _________

Plant and Animal Cells: Microscope Lab Activity
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Part 1: Onion Cell
1. Gently wipe the slide and cover slip to remove any water marks or fingerprints. Be
careful not to scratch them.
2. Take a piece of onion, and break it in half gently, leaving the outer layer of skin.
Carefully place the layer on the slide as flat as possible and then place a coverslip over
the onion.
3. Add iodine one drop at a time along the edge of the coverslip. Use a piece of paper
towel on the opposite side to draw the iodine through the onion.
4. Carefully place the finished slide onto the microscope so that the light is shining through
the onion sample.
5. Using the scanning power objective lens (red), observe what the onion sample looks like
and record below. Use words to describe your picture or label your drawing so I know
what you are observing.

Description/Labels:










What is the magnification? ____


6. Now, using the yellow objective, observe what the onion sample looks like and record
below. Use words to describe your picture or label your drawing so I know what you are
observing.

Description/Labels:

What is the magnification? _____

 7. Finally, using the most powerful objective lens (blue), observe what the onion sample
looks like and record below. Use words to describe your picture or label your drawing so
I know what you are observing.

Description/Labels:

What is the magnification? _____

8. When you are finished carefully wash your slides and coverslips with soap and water
and gently dry them. Make sure the microscope is turned off, set to the red objective,
and the stage is completely lowered. Make sure your station is put back the way you
found it. Teacher’s Initials: __________

Part 2: Cheek Cell

1. First, put one drop of Bromothymol blue onto a clean slide.

2. Then, gently scrape the inside of your cheek with the long flat edge of a toothpick.
Scrape lightly.

3. Next, stir the end of the toothpick through the dye on the slide.

4. Place a coverslip onto the slide carefully, try not to get fingerprints or air bubbles.

5. Use the scanning (red) objective to focus. You will see a sea of light blue, and the cells
will look like darker blue spots at this power. Observe what the cheek cell sample looks
like and record below. Use words to describe your picture or label your drawing so I
know what you are observing.

Description/Labels:

What is the magnification? _____

6. Once you think you have located a cell, center it and then switch to the next objective
lens and focus. Observe what the cheek cell sample looks like and record below. Use
words to describe your picture or label your drawing so I know what you are observing.

Description/Labels:

What is the magnification? _____

7. Finally, switch to the highest power objective and focus. Have the teacher check and
make sure you are looking at the right thing.

8. Observe what the cheek cell sample looks like and record below. Use words to describe
your picture or label your drawing so I know what you are observing.

What is the magnification? _____

9. When you are finished carefully wash your slides and coverslips with soap and water
and gently dry them. Make sure the microscope is turned off, set to the red objective,
and the stage is completely lowered. Make sure your station is put back the way you
found it. Teacher’s Initials: __________
Analysis / Conclusion

1. Based on your observations, How are animal cells and plant cells the same and how are
they different? List at least two similarities and two differences between the two.

2. Why was the stain added?

3. The light microscope used in the lab is not powerful enough to view all the organelles in
the cells. What parts of the cells were visible?

4. List 2 organelles that were NOT visible but should have been.

5. Why were no chloroplasts found in the onion cells?

6. Were these cells eukaryotes or prokaryotes? How do you know?

7. Keeping in mind that the mouth is the first site of chemical digestion (saliva starts the
process of breaking down the food you eat) what organelle do you think would be
numerous inside the cells of your mouth?

Cell Review:
Complete the table by putting an x in the correct column.

Type of Organism Eukaryote Prokaryote

Animal

“Protist”

Bacteria

Plant

12. Which structure is present in a eukaryotic cell but not in a prokaryotic cell?

nucleus cell wall cell membrane