Rowland: Bio A
Name: ________________________________________ Hour: _____
Plant and Animal Cell Lab
Purpose: To observe a variety of cell types and structures they contain.
Materials: Microscope, slide, cover slip, iodine stain, methylene blue, toothpick, elodea, cork slides, onion.
Part A: Cork Cell
1. Obtain a prepared slide of the cork cells.
2. Observe under the microscope and draw what you see under HIGH power.
Part B: Cheek Cells
1. Put ONE drop of water onto a glass slide.
2. Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with the flat side of a toothpick. Scrape lightly.
3. Swirl the end of the toothpick in the water and then throw the toothpick away.
4. Place a cover slip onto the slide. Try to identify the cells without using any stain.
5. Lift off the cover slip and put a drop of methylene blue on a slide. Draw what you see now under HIGH
power.
*You are looking for light colored blobs with dark spots in them. Perfect circles with black outlines are air bubbles.
Part C: Onion Cells
1. Peel of a thin slice of onion and put it on the slide.
2. Put ONE drop of methylene blue on the onion slice.
3. Gently lay a cover slip over onion. Draw what you see under HIGH power.
Part D: Elodea Cells
1. Take ONE leaf of elodea and place it on a glass slide.
2. Put a drop of water on it and place a cover slip over it. Draw what you see under HIGH power.
Part E: Potato Cells with Starch Storage (leucoplast)
1. Obtain a THIN slice of potato from Ms. Rowland and put onto a glass slide.
2. Put one drop of iodine on your potato slice then put on a cover slip. Draw what you see under LOW
power.
Draw each cell in the space below. Label the structures that you saw.
Cork Cells
Onion Cells
Cheek Cells with NO stain
Cheek Cells with Methylene Blue Stain
Elodea Cells
Potato Cells
Rowland: Bio A
POST-LAB QUESTIONS
1. Why are you unable to see cell organelles without the stain?
2. Describe the function of the following

cell membrane:

cytoplasm:

nucleus:

chloroplasts:

vacuoles:

cell wall:
3. Is the cheek cell a eukaryote or prokaryote? How do you know?
5. Why were no chloroplasts found in the onion cells? (Hint: think about how onions grow!)
6. Name two structures found in plant cells but NOT animal cells.
7. Name three structures found in plant cells AND animal cells.
8. Create a Venn diagram below to show the differences and similarities between a plant and animal cell.