Plant vs Animal
A Cellular Comparison
Plant and animal cells have many structures in
common as well as some basic differences.
Plant cells have a rigid cell wall and if they
are green they have chloroplasts.
Animal cells lack both a cell wall and
chloroplasts. They also lack a central vacuole
that exists in plant cells.
Objective
In this lab you will observe and note the
differences and similarities between
animal and plant cells.
Epithelial Cheek Cells
You will first examine epithelial cells from
the inside of your cheek. Epithelium is a
type of tissue that covers the surface of
organs and cavities of the body, as well as
your skin.
Elodea Leaf Cells
You will also look at cells from a leaf of the
plant Elodea. The cells of this plant are
green because they contain the pigment,
chlorophyll. This is a pigment found in
chloroplasts and allows a plant to absorb
sunlight and manufacture its own food by
the process of photosynthesis.
Materials
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Microscope
Slides
Cover slips
Toothpick
Pipette
Elodea
Forceps
Lugol’s iodine solution
Methylene blue stain
PROCEDURE
PART I
Human Cheek Cell
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Obtain epithelial cells by gently scraping the inside
of your cheek (in your mouth) with a clean
toothpick. It may not look like there is anything on
the tip of the toothpick when you are through, but
there are microscopic skin cells.
Stir the material from the toothpick in a drop of
water on a clean slide.
Throw the toothpick away when you are through.
Add a small drop of methylene blue stain to the
slide.
Carefully place a cover slip on the slide.
Examine the slide under low power. When you find
some cells that are separate from each other,
examine them under high power.
PROCEDURE
PART II
Elodea Leaf Cell
1.
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6.
Break off a small leaf near the tip of an
elodea plant.
With forceps, place the entire leaf in a
drop of water on a clean slide
Add a cover slip
Examine the leaf under low power.
TAKE A PICTURE USING YOUR CAMERA
To see the chloroplasts move, warm up
the slide under a bright lamp for a few
minutes.
7.
8.
9.
Look for an area in the leaf where you
can see the cells most clearly.
Examine these cells under high power.
TAKE A PICTURE USING YOUR CAMERA
Stained Elodea Leaf
1.
Break off another elodea leaf and place it
in a drop of Lugol’s iodine solution on a
clean slide. Add a cover slip.
1.
TAKE A PICTURE USING YOUR CAMERA
2.
Answer the Analysis Questions