Flower Dissection Lab
Purpose(you write)
Materials
Lily
Dissection kit
White unlined paper
Pencil
Colored pencils
Method
1. Obtain a lily.
2. Examine the flower. Create a titled data table containing the following: number of petals, color of
petals, number of stamens, number of pistils, monocot or dicot, number of ovary chambers.
Include this data table in the results section of your lab write-up.
3. Remove one petal so that you can see the inner parts of the flower. Sketch the flower on a white
unlined half sheet of paper, following the Biology Drawing rules. Place this under Sketches in
the results section of your lab write up. Include a title below your sketch, and label the following
if present: sepals, petals, pistil, stamen. Color your sketch. If your anthers are missing, this is
because pollen stains and the anthers have been removed by the florist.
4. Remove the petals from the flower.
5. Remove the pistil from the base of the flower.
6. Sketch the pistil. Use a half sheet of unlined white paper, following the Biology Drawing rules.
Place this under Sketches in the results section of your lab write up. Include a title below your
sketch, and label the following if present: stigma, style, ovary (widest part of the vase-shaped
pistil). Color your sketch.
7. Using a scalpel or single-edged razor blade, using the cutting board on the teaching island, cut
the ovary in half at its widest part as shown in Figure 1 below. CAUTION: Be very careful
when handling sharp instruments! Always cut in a direction AWAY from your hands and
body!
8. Observe the side of the ovary. Record in the data table the number of ovary chambers. The
white, oval objects inside the chambers are the ova (eggs).
Figure 1
9. Sketch the pollen that is on the television (attached to a microscope camera). Include
magnification and title below your sketch, following the Biology Drawing rules. Place this under
Sketches in the results section of your lab write up. Color your sketch.
10. Dispose of the used flower parts in the trash.
11. Answer the analysis question in the Questions section of your lab write up. Follow the Lab
Guidelines posted on the web page.
CONTINUE ON THE BACK!!!
(19)Analysis Questions
1. (9) List the functions of each of the following flower parts: sepal, petal, stamen, anther, filament, pistil,
stigma, style, ovary.
2. (1) Why does a flower have more pollen grains than it does ova?
3. (1) How many petals stamens were in the flower you dissected?
4. (1) How many stamens were in the flower you dissected?
5. (1) How many pistils were in the flower you dissected?
6. (1) How many chambers were in the pistil you sectioned?
7. (2) Is this a monocot or dicot flower? Explain.
8. (1) Why is the stigma sticky?
9. (1) Why do flowers that depend on animals for pollination have large flowers with bright colors or
strong odor?
10.(1) Why do flowers that depend the wind for pollination seldom have large flowers with bright colors
or strong odor?
Lab write up: Include Introduction, Results, Questions, & Conclusions.
Delete all unused parts from the lab template.
Lab MUST be in order!!
(Sketches MUST be in the Results section of the lab, not stapled to the back of the lab!)