Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Skills Practice Lab
DATASHEET A FOR IN-TEXT LAB
Mitosis in Plant Cells
OBJECTIVES
• Examine the dividing root-tip cells of an onion.
• Identify the phase of mitosis that each cell in an onion root tip is undergoing.
• Determine the relative length of time each phase of mitosis takes in onion roottip cells.
MATERIALS
• compound light microscope
• prepared microscope slide of a
longitudinal section of Allium (onion)
root tip
Procedure
IDENTIFY THE PHASES OF MITOSIS
1.
CAUTION: Put on safety goggles, gloves, and a lab
apron.
2.
CAUTION: Handle glass slides and cover slips with care. Look at
the meristem area of the slide on low power. Focus the microscope as
needed.
3. Examine the meristem carefully. Choose a sample of about 50 cells. Look for
a group of cells that appear to have been actively dividing at the time that the
slide was made. The cells will appear to be in rows, so it should be easy to
keep track of them. The dark-staining bodies are the chromosomes.
4. For each of the cells in your sample, identify the stage of mitosis. Use the data
table on the next page to show how long each phase of mitosis lasts. Record
your observations in the data table.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Biology
1
Cell Growth and Division
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Mitosis in Plant Cells continued
Phase of
mitosis
Relative Duration of Each Phase of Mitosis
Tally marks
Count
Percentage of
all cells
Time (min)
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
CALCULATE THE RELATIVE LENGTH OF EACH PHASE
5. When you have classified each cell in your sample, count the tally marks for
each phase and fill in the “Count” column.
Which phase of mitosis had the most cells?
Which phase of mitosis had the least cells?
6. Find the percentage of all cells that were found in each phase. (Hint: see the
formula below.) Divide the number of cells in a phase by the total number of
cells in your sample. Then multiply by 100. Enter these figures in the
“Percentage” column.
7. The percentage of the total cells in each phase (the numbers you just
calculated) can be used to estimate how long each phase lasts. For example,
imagine 25% of the cells are in prophase. If that is the case, then prophase
takes 25% of the total time of mitosis. Mitosis in onion cells takes about 80
min. Using this information and the percentages you have just determined,
calculate the time for each phase. Record it in your data table.
8. Use the table on the following page to record the data for the whole class.
Collect and add the counts for each phase of mitosis for the entire class. Fill in
the percentage and time information by using the data.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Biology
2
Cell Growth and Division
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Mitosis in Plant Cells continued
Phase of mitosis
Class Data
Count
Percentage of all
cells
Duration (min)
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
Clean .up your lab materials according to your teacher’s
instructions. Wash your hands before leaving the lab.
9.
Analyze and Conclude
1. Identifying Structures What color are the chromosomes stained?
_______________________________________________________________
2. Recognizing Relationships How can you tell the difference between early and
late anaphase?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Scientific Methods Making Systematic Observations According to your
data table, which phase takes the least amount of time?
Which phase of mitosis lasts the longest?
Why might this phase require more time than other phases of mitosis?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Biology
3
Cell Growth and Division
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Mitosis in Plant Cells continued
4. Scientific Methods Summarizing Data How does your data compare with
the data of the entire class?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. Scientific Methods Critiquing Procedures Do you remember how you
calculated the time in each phase? You assumed that the percentage of time in
any phase is equal to the percentage of the number of cells in that phase. Why
might this not be true for very small samples of cells?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Extensions
6. Applying Methods Cancerous tissue is composed of cells undergoing
uncontrolled, rapid cell division. How could you develop a procedure to
identify cancerous tissue by counting the number of cells undergoing mitosis?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Biology
4
Cell Growth and Division
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Answer Key
In-Text Basic Chapter Lab: Mitosis in Plant Cells
PROCEDURE
5. The number of tally marks beside each stage will vary. The greatest number of cells in the sample
should be in prophase. The fewest number of cells should be in anaphase, but answers may vary.
6. Answers should reflect the data. Roughly
85 percent of the cells should be in prophase, 8 percent in metaphase, 3 percent in anaphase, and 4
percent in telophase.
7. Answers should reflect the data. Roughly 68 minutes are spent in prophase, 6 minutes in
metaphase, 2 minutes in anaphase, and 3 minutes in telophase.
8. Class data and calculations based on class data will vary.
ANALYZE AND CONCLUDE
1. Chromosomes are often stained pink or purple, depending on the stain used.
2. In early anaphase, the chromosomes are just beginning to pull away from the midline. In late
anaphase, the chromosomes are near the poles.
3. Answers may vary, but usually anaphase or telophase takes the least amount of time. Prophase
usually takes the longest time. More events occur during this prophase, which is why it is longer.
4. Answers may vary depending on class data.
5. Simply by chance, a small area might have an overrepresentation of one mitotic phase. Larger
samples would yield more representative data.
EXTENSIONS
6. Students would have to find out the percentage of cells undergoing mitosis at any given time in a
normal tissue sample and compare it with the cancerous tissue sample.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Biology
5
Cell Growth and Division