Microviewer: Cell Structure and
Specialized Cells
Exploring Magnification Equipment Lab
Light Microscope versus Microviewer
Objective: This laboratory exploration will allow the student to understand how a light microscope and a
microviewer work. The student will explore the advantages of using a microviewer and/or a light microscope to
see specialized organelles within cells.
Hypothesis: Using your knowledge of both types of microscopes, hypothesize which piece of equipment will
result in a more detail view of a cell.
Procedure:
 Students will rotate stations and identify different specialized organelles in different types of cells using
a microviewer and prepared slides.
o Students MUST read, draw what they see and answer questions in their lab notebook. Drawings
must be colored, detailed and specified magnification.
 Students will create a wet-mount of a red onion.
o Students will follow steps to create a wet-mount.
o Safety precaution – handle glass side and thin-glass coverslide with caution.
o Students will draw what they see of the red onion at 10x and 40x objective. Drawings must be
colored, detailed and specified magnification.
Data:
 The data collected are the drawings of each slide. All drawings must be colored, detailed and specified
magnification.
Conclusion (CER) – students write a conclusion for the experiment using complete sentences with no emotions
and no use of pronouns
 Claim – state if the hypothesis was supported or disproved by the collected data.
 Evidence – Elaborate how the data supports your claim. Address any setbacks that may had occurred.
 Response – State your conclusion for the experiment. State how your conclusion can support real-world
experiences.
Please carefully draw each Microviewer slide in detail about the
size of the circle in your lab notebook. Label each picture and
answer the questions under the illustration in your lab notebook.
Always draw in pencil and shade using colored pencils.
Include the magnification you are looking at.
Also, label any structures that are pointed out in the slide.
Your illustrations
do not have to be
any bigger than
this circle.
Cork and cell discovery. Just answer first two questions
1. Describe how cells were named and discovered:
2. Why are the cork cells empty?
Using the Cells of Plants and Animals Microviewer you will illustrate only the listed headings
and answer the questions.
“X” means
magnification power!
Cheek-Lining Cells. X _________ (Illustrate)
3. What is the large dark spot in the center of the cell that controls the work done in the cell?
4. What are the major parts of the cell you see?
Cheek Cell
Green Leaf Cells X _________ (Illustrate)
5. The opening in the leaf are called stomata. Why do you think leaf cells need such openings?
6. What special function can the leaf cells of green plants perform?
Green Leaf
Bone Cells X _________ (Illustrate)
7. What travels through the canals formed between the bone cells.
Bone Cell
Brain Cells X ________ (Illustrate)
8. What does the brain do?
9. Why do you think the brain cell has long fibers?
Brain Cell
Using the Cytoplasm Microviewer you will illustrate only the listed headings and answer the
questions.
Modern Cell
The Modern Cell X ________ (Illustrate)
Rough ER
The Rough Endoplamic Reticulum X ________ (Illustrate)
10. A single cell may contain _____ ribosomes?
11. It is the surface of these ribosomes that the chemical
Mitochondria
RNA, carrying instructions from the DNA in the nucleus,
assembles ________ into specific _______needed in cell activities.
Mitochondria X ________ (Illustrate)
12. How many mitochondria are normally found in cells?
13. The _______(2 words)__ provide an increased working
Golgi
surface for the many _________ that extract energy stored
within carbohydrate molecules such as glucose.
Golgi Bodies X ________ (Illustrate)
14. The Golgi bodies consist of a series of flattened membrane
sacs that resemble a stack of ____?
15. ___________that were formed on the surface of the__________ are transported through the smooth
endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi bodies where they are ________ or _______until these proteins
are either used by other organelles or secreted.
Chloroplasts X ________ (Illustrate)
16. Chloroplasts are oval shaped, specialized organelles in green
plant cells that contain the green pigment ____________?
17. The inner membrane is arranged into a series of stacks of chlorophyll containing disc called _____?
Wet Mount Onion
Cell