Cell Comparison Lab
DO NOT WRITE ON THIS LAB SHEET
Label your own paper with the above title, name, hour, date, and microscope #
The purpose of this lab is to look at some different types of cells. For each of the
following slides, you need to draw 2-3 cells and label all of the organelles and parts that
you can see. You will likely need to be on high power.
Part 1:
1. Make a wet mount slide of some cheek cells (be careful and listen to instruction
before doing this part)
2. View the slide under the microscope – describe what you are seeing.
3. Raise your hand and call the teacher over. The teacher will place a drop of a
methylene blue on your slide and help you draw it through the slide.
4. View the slide under the microscope. Observe, draw, and label any organelles
you see in a cheek cell. Explain how it compares to the first time you looked at
the slide.
5. CAUTION!!!!!! YOU – and ONLY YOU are allowed to take care of your slide.
NO OTHER TEAM MEMBER IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH YOUR SLIDE.
6. Upon completion of this portion of the lab – take the slide over to the container
with the bleach solution in it and place your slide into this container.
Part 2:
7. Make a wet mount of an Elodea leaf (pond weed). Observe, draw, and label any
organelles you see.
8. Watch the cells for a few minutes – do you notice anything strange occurring?
Explain.
9. Move to the edge of leaf – you should find a different type of cell. Draw this and
explain why this type of cell might be found at the “edge” of the leaf.
10. What is an organelle?
11. Why the heck do cells need organelles?
12. What types of differences did you find between the animal and plant cell (at least
3 differences can be seen!!!)
13. Why do you think different cells look different from each other --- aren’t they all
“just cells”?
14. In question 1, you drew a picture of cheek cell. The cheek tissues in your mouth
are made of cells. Place the following words in order from smallest to largest.
cells
tissues
atoms
organs
molecules
15. Where do organelles fit into this list?
organ systems