Name _______________________ Animal and Plant Cell Investigation All living things are composed of cells. Cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and cells perform different functions. Although cells may appear different, they resemble each other because they share common structures. In this lab you will look at two types of cells, a human cheek cell and an onion cell and see how they are similar and how they are different. Part 1: Animal Cell 1. Before we look at cheek cells, take a moment to mark which cell structures you EXPECT are in the cheek cells. Structure Expect to see in an animal cell? (Y/N) Why or why not? Cell membrane Yes Animal cells need a cell membrane to ● Controls what goes in and out of the cell ● Holds the cell together ● Protects the cell Nucleus Yes Genetic material is contained in the nucleus. Chloroplasts No Chloroplasts are only in plants. Chloroplast convert sunlight into nutrients. Cytoplasm Yes Cytoplasm is the gel-like substance that holds all the parts of a cell in place. Mitochondria Yes All cells need energy. Mitochondria convert nutrients into energy. Cell Wall No Cell walls are specific to plants because the cell wall provides protection and structure. 2. Draw pictures of the cheek cell at both low and high power. In the high power drawing, label any identifiable structures. 1 Low Power High Power Part 2: Plant Cells 3. Next we look at elodea cells which is a type of seaweed. Take a moment to mark which cell structures you EXPECT are in the elodea cells. Structure Expect to see in a plant cell? (Y/N) Why or why not? Cell membrane Y All eurkaryotic cells have a cell membrane. Plant cells have a cell membrane to ● Protect the cell ● Control what goes in and out ● Holds the cell together Nucleus Y Holds the genetic information Chloroplasts Y Chloroplasts convert sunlight into nutrients. Cytoplasm Y Cytoplasm holds the parts of the cell in place. Mitochondria Y Mitochondria convert nutrients into energy which plants need to grow. 2 Cell Wall Y Cell wall provides strength and structure. 4. Draw pictures of the cheek cell at both low and high power. In the high power drawing, label any identifiable structures. Medium Power High Power Name ______________________ 5. How does the shape of the animal cell differ from the shape of the plant cell? Why do you think the shapes are different? 3 _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 6. What structures are you able to see in both types of cells? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 7. Both plant cells and animal cells contain mitochondria, yet we could not see them in the pictures. Does this mean they are not in these types of cells? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 8. Make a claim about whether the picture below is a plant or animal cell. Then support your claim with evidence and an explanation. 4 __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 5