Name: _________________________________________________ Date: ________________ Period: ____

Cell Observation Lab Activity

Introduction: Living things are made of cells. All cells have parts that do certain jobs. Cells have an outer covering called the cell
(plasma) membrane. The cell membrane controls what enter/exits a cell. The clear jellylike material inside the cell is the
cytoplasm. The nucleus is the control center of the cell. Plant cells have a thick outer covering called the cell wall. It is found on
the outside of the cell membrane.

Cell parts can be studied by making wet mounts slides. A wet mount slide is a temporary slide. It is not made to last a long time.
You can make wet mount slides of living and once living materials to study cell parts.

Materials:
Glass slides Dropper of water Onion skin Scissors Flat toothpicks
Cover slips Forceps Prepared cork slides Methylene Blue
Microscopes Elodea Prepared blood slides Iodine

Specimen #1: Prepare a wet mount of onion cells.

A. Obtain a clean slide; if the microscope slide needs to be cleaned, rinse with
water and wipe or pat dry. Place a drop of iodine in the middle of a clean
microscope slide.

B. Peel a layer of onion skin as seen in the picture to the right, then using your
forceps, peel a single thin layer as seen in second picture to the right and place it
in the drop of iodine. Be sure the onion skin is flat.

C. Place a coverslip on top of the onion skin. This prevents the microscope lens from being
damaged.

D. Examine the onion with low power, then medium power, and then high power. Using a
pencil, draw your observations using the two powers that it appears best.

E. Using a pencil, draw and label the Cell wall, Nucleus, and the Cytoplasm in your onion drawing. If you’re lucky,
you can even find the Nucleolus.

1) Onion cells (and skin cells) are flat and seem to overlap. Explain why this arrangement is beneficial.
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Specimen #2: Prepare a wet mount of Elodea cells.
A. Place a drop of water in the middle of a clean microscope slide.If the microscope slide needs to be cleaned, rinse it with
water and wipe dry.

B. Pluck a leaf from the Elodea plant and place the leaf into the drop of water. Make sure the leaf is flat.

C. Add a cover slip over your elodea leaf; this prevents the microscope lens from being damaged.

D. Examine the elodea leaf under low power, then medium power, and then high power using your microscope. Using a
pencil, draw your observations using the 2 powers that it appears best. Take your time. If you are patient and observant,
you might see the green chloroplasts floating in the cytoplasm interior of the cell.

E. Using a pencil, draw and label the Cell wall, Chloroplast, and the Cytoplasm in your elodea drawing.

2) Which process does the chloroplast perform? _____________________________________________________________

3) Explain why you think it is important to have plants like Elodea in a fish aquarium.
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4) Review your drawing of elodea cells and onion cells. Both samples are plants but only elodea has chloroplasts. Where do
onions grow and can you explain why they do not have any chloroplasts?
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Specimen #3: Prepare a wet mount of your cheek cells.

A) Obtain a clean slide; if needed, rinse your slide with water and wipe dry to clean. Add a drop of methylene blue in the
middle of the slide.
B) GENTLY swab your cheek using the FLAT end of your toothpick. Again, be gentle…even the tiniest touch will produce
cells.
C) Rub the used toothpick in the drop of methylene blue to transfer your cheek cells. Add a coverslip.

D) Examine your cells under low power, then medium power, and then high power using your microscope. Using a pencil,
draw your observations using the 2 powers that it appears best. Take your time. Be sure to label the cell membrane,
cytoplasm, and nucleus. You may even be able to see the nucleolus.
 5) Review your drawing of an elodea cell and compare it to your cheek cell. What differences do you notice between an
animal cell and a plant cell?
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Specimen #4: Prepared slide of cork

A. Obtain a prepared slide of cork from your teacher.

B. Place the cork slide under the microscope and observe low power, then medium power, and then high power.Draw your
observations using the 2 powers that it appears best.

C. Using a pencil, draw and label the cell wall in your cork drawing.

6) Who first observed cork? ____________________________________ When did this happen? _____________________
 7) Cork cells are dead. In the sample you witnessed, you can only see the cell wall. All the other parts
have decomposed. What is the cell wall made from that has allowed it to remain even after the cells
are dead?

8) What type of molecule is the answer to #7? ______________________________________________________________

General Analysis Questions

9) Which magnification (low, medium, or high power) allows you to see less detail, but
more of the overall specimen?

10) When first viewing an object under the microscope, explain why you should always find it using the lowest power
available. Be sure to say more than “it’s easier”. Explain why it is easier.
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11) The shape of a cell helps the cell better perform its function. Give and explain an example of this statement.
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