DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCE
COURSE: PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
PRACTICAL 1
LECTURER: ZIVUKU. M (2015)
Title
Investigating the effects of water and sodium chloride on the contents of plant cells
Aim
Determine the changes (plasmolysis/turgor pressure) that a plant cell undergoes
when placed in different solution.
Materials/ apparatus
-
Microscope
Red Onion
Cover slips
1 specimen
Forceps
Filter paper
Salt solution (5 % w/v)
Distilled water
Teat pipettes
Method
1. Get a single layer of plant cells from the red onion provided
2. Cut a 1 cm square from a fleshy piece of onion and then peel off a single layer
of the red cells.
3. Place the strip on a slide and cover it with a drop or two of distilled water. Add
a cover slip.
4. Observe the cells through a microscope. Start with the low power lens. Draw
and label 3 plant cells.
5. Take another strip of cells from your plant material. This time mount the cells
on a slide with 5% sodium chloride solution.
6. Examine the cells through the microscope. Draw and label 3 plant cells.
7. After a few minutes draw out the sodium chloride solution with a piece of filter
paper placed at the edge of the coverslip. Replace it with distilled water added
at the other side of the coverslip.
NB The experiment is shown as a diagrammatic representation in figure 2.0
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Figure 2.0: The experiment for investigating the behaviour of plant cells in
different solutions
Record your results
Write a lab write up. You may include, title, aim, theoretical background, method,
results, discussion and conclusion and reference in your report.
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