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Experiment 11

This document provides instructions for observing mitosis in onion root tip cells under a microscope. It explains that mitosis can be seen in actively dividing tissues like root tips. The materials and process for making a slide of onion root tip are described. Key stages of mitosis - interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase - are defined. In plants, cytokinesis involves formation of a cell plate, while in animals it involves inward pinching of the cell membrane.

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Yash Anand
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35 views

Experiment 11

This document provides instructions for observing mitosis in onion root tip cells under a microscope. It explains that mitosis can be seen in actively dividing tissues like root tips. The materials and process for making a slide of onion root tip are described. Key stages of mitosis - interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase - are defined. In plants, cytokinesis involves formation of a cell plate, while in animals it involves inward pinching of the cell membrane.

Uploaded by

Yash Anand
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AIM:

To make a temporary mount of onion root tip to study various stages of mitosis.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:
onion root tip, needle, brush, slide, blotting paper, burner, aceto carmine stain, watch glass,
cover slip, test tube, test tube holder,HCl.

PRINCIPLE: Somatic growth in plants and animals takes place by the increase in the number of
cells. A cell divides mitotically to form two daughter cells wherein the number of chromosomes
remains the same as in the mother cell. In plants, such divisions rapidly take place in
meristematic tissues of root and shoot apices, where the stages of mitosis can be easily
observed. In animals, mitotically dividing cells can be easily viewed in the bone marrow tissue of
a vertebrate, epithelial cells from gills in fishes and the tail of growing tadpole larvae of frogs.

Study Of Slide

Place the slide on the stage of a good quality compound microscope. First observe it under the
lower magnification (10 X objective) to search for the area having a few dividing cells. Examine
the dividing cells under higher magnification of the microscope to observe the detailed features
of mitosis.

OBSERVATION
The stages of mitosis can be broadly categorised into two parts: karyokinesis (division of
nucleus) followed by cytokinesis (division of cytoplasm, and ultimately of the cell).
Interphase:
The cells are mostly rectangular, oval or even circular in shape, with almost centrally situated
densely stained nucleus. The chromatin material of the nucleus is homogeneous and looks
granular. The boundary of the nucleus is distinct. One or few nucleoli can also be observed
inside the nucleus.

Stages of Mitosis

(a)Prophase-Intact nuclear outline is seen. The chromatin appears as a network of fine threads
(chromosomes). Nucleoli may or may not be visible.If the cell under observation is in the early
stage of prophase then the chromatin fibres (chromosomes) are very thin. However, in the cells
at late prophase, comparatively thicker chromatin fibres would be visible. Besides this, in the
late prophase the nuclear membrane may not be noticed.

(b) Metaphase:The nuclear membrane disappears, Chromosomes are thick and are seen
arranged at the equatorial plane of the cell . Each chromosome at this stage has two chromatids
joined together at the centromere, which can be seen by changing the resolution of the
microscope. Nucleolus is not observed during metaphase.

(c) Anaphase:This stage shows the separation of the chromatids of each chromosome. The
chromatids separate due to the splitting of the centromere. Each chromatid now represents a
separate chromosome as it has its own centromere. The chromosomes are found as if they
have moved towards the two poles of the cell. The chromosomes at this stage may look like the
shape of alphabets "V", J'or T depending upon the position of centromere in them. Different
anaphase cells show different stages of movement of chromosomes to opposite poles and they
are designated to represent early, mid and late anaphase.

(d) Telophase:Chromosomes reach the opposite poles, lose their individuality, and look like a
mass of chromatin. Nuclear membrane appears to form the nuclei of the two future daughter
cells.

Cytokinesis:In plants, a cell plate is formed in the middle after telophase. The plate can be seen
to extend outwards to ultimately reach the margin of the cell and divide the cell into two. Such
cell plates are characteristic of plant cells. However, in an animal cell, the two sides of the cell
show constrictions formed from the peripheral region in the middle of the cell which grow inward
and meet to divide the cell into two daughter cells.

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