Distinguishing Cells
Materials:
- 1 light microscope
- 1 onion
- 1 ox eye (you can get these at a butcher shop)
- Iodine solution
- Methylene blue solution
- 2 microscope slides
- 2 cover slips
Instructions:
1. Peel off the outer layer of the onion and slice a small thin piece of the inner layer. Place this piece on a clean slide. Be sure you only touch one side of the piece. You can use forceps or tweezers to do this.
2. Drop one or two drops of iodine solution onto the slide and place a cover slip on top of the onion.
3. Look at the onion under the microscope and list what you see. Try drawing the cell and identifying each organelle if you can. Be sure that you take note of the characteristics of a plant cell that you will not find in an animal cell.
4. Take the ox eye, and touch a clean microscope onto the cornea.
5. Drop one or two drops of methylene blue onto the slide and place a cover slip on top.
6. Look at the ox eye under the microscope and list what you see. You are viewing corneal cells. Try drawing the cells and identifying each organelle if you can.
7. Compare the drawings you have done. Were you able to identify all the parts and differences?
Ox eyes are good samples of animal cells. However, if the thought of touching an eyeball is disgusting, you can try looking for a different type of animal cell to study.
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