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guide for life science practical

This document outlines a practical guide for Grade 10 Life Sciences students to study plant and animal cells using a light microscope. It includes detailed procedures for preparing and observing unstained and stained cheek epithelial cells and onion epidermal cells, along with questions to compare the two types of cells. The guide emphasizes proper laboratory practices and the calculation of microscope magnification.

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theeenomhlee
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7 views

guide for life science practical

This document outlines a practical guide for Grade 10 Life Sciences students to study plant and animal cells using a light microscope. It includes detailed procedures for preparing and observing unstained and stained cheek epithelial cells and onion epidermal cells, along with questions to compare the two types of cells. The guide emphasizes proper laboratory practices and the calculation of microscope magnification.

Uploaded by

theeenomhlee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Subject: Life Sciences Grade: 10

Term: 1
Guide for practical: 10.1.5_E
Theme: Cells: the basic units of life

Functioning of the light microscope

Practical 5: Study plant and animal cells under the light microscope

Aim: To prepare wet mountings of plant and animal cells, compare it under the light
microscope and calculate the magnification.

Procedure 1: Study animal cells – unstained cheek cells


1. Set up the microscope as you learned in last week's practicals.
2. Take a clean inoculum loop (smear loop) and carefully scrape it on the inside of
your cheek.
3. With a clean mounting needle, scrape off the tissue you collected in the center of a
clean microscope slide.
4. Place the inoculum loop and the mounting needle in a container with disinfectant.
5. Place a drop of physiological saline on the tissue on the slide.
6. Cover the tissue sample on the slide with a cover slip as follows:
• Place the cover slip on the side of the drop of saline at a 45º angle with the
slide.
• Slowly lower the cover slip onto the tissue while supporting it with a mounting
needle.

mounting needle
cover slip

tissue sample
microscope slide

7. Carefully dry the slide if necessary and label it.


8. Now follow the procedure you learned in previous practical to study the tissue
sample under the microscope.
9. Make line drawings of the tissue under low and high magnification.

Procedure 2: Study animal cells – stained cheek epithelium


1. Follow steps 2 - 4 of Procedure 1.
2. Air dry the slide with the tissue sample by gentle waving.
3. Place one drop of methylene blue solution on the tissue sample on the slide.
4. Leave for 1 minute.

© EduTop (2017) 1
5. Use a wash bottle and gently wash the excess stain from the tissue on the slide -
wash it over the sink.
6. Follow steps 6 - 9 of Procedure 1.

Next we will investigate plant cells. In addition to the procedure explained below, you can
also study PH10.1.9 on microscope techniques for studying plant tissues before continuing
with the practical.

Procedure 3: Plant cells – unstained onion epidermal cells


1. Place a drop of physiological saline in the middle of a clean microscope slide.
2. Cut the onion in small pieces; in quarters should be sufficient.
3. Remove two fleshy leaves and find the epidermis (thin "skin" at the top of a fleshy
leaf) between them.
4. Use a pincette and carefully pull away the epidermis. Place it in a watch glass with
a little water and use a pincette and small scissors to cut into smaller pieces (about
5 mm2).
5. Use a small paint brush and place one of the pieces in the drop of water on the
microscope slide. Ensure the piece of epidermis is unfolded and stretched on the
surface of the slide.
6. Follow steps 6 - 9 of Procedure 1.

Procedure 4: Plant cells – stained onion epidermal cells


1. Prepare another slide with a second piece of the epidermis in the watch glass and
cover with a cover slip as described in Procedures 3 & 1.
2. Now place a drop of iodine solution on one side of the cover slip and pull it under
the cover glass by holding a piece of filter paper on the other side against the cover
slip.

drop of iodine
solution

microscope slide filter paper


cover slip

3. Carefully wipe the slide with absorbent paper and label it.
4. Now follow the procedure you learned in the previous practical to study the tissue
sample under the microscope.
5. Make line drawings of the onion epidermis under low and high magnification.

NB: At the end of the practical, the glassware must be washed up, the laboratory
cleaned up and the microscopes put away in the correct fashion

© EduTop (2017) 2
Answer the following questions:
i. How does the stained cheek epithelial tissue differ from the unstained cheek
tissue?
ii. Explain the difference you observed in the stained and unstained cheek
epithelial tissue.
iii. How does the stained onion epidermis differ from the unstained onion
epidermis?
iv. Explain the difference you observed in the stained and unstained epidermis
tissue of the onion.
v. Microscope magnification is calculated by multiplying the magnification of the
eyepiece lens with the magnification of the objective lens. Work out the
magnification of the lowest and highest magnification under which you
examined the onion epidermis. Show your calculations.
vi. Write down the differences you observed between the animal and plant cells
by completing in the following table:

Characteristic Animal cell Plant cell


(cheek epithelium) (onion epidermis)
Shape of the cells
Presence of cell wall
Presence of cell
membrane
Position of the
nucleus
Visibility of vacuoles
Structure of the
tissues

© EduTop (2017) 3

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