Seeing Cells
Materials:
- Microscope
- Onion
- Iodine Solution
- Wine cork
- Carrot
- Water
- Blue food coloring
- Knife (always ask an adult for help)
- Chopping board
Instructions:
1. Take a clear glass or cup and fill it halfway with some fresh water. Drop in ten or more drops of food coloring into the water till it's a good shade of blue.
2. Take the carrot and slice an inch off the end. Place the carrot inside the blue water. Set aside for a few days.
3. Slice the onion in half, peel the thin layer of skin (the one right before the onion itself) off and cut or tear this into a little piece.
4. Place the onion on a viewing slide and drop a few drops of iodine solution on top. Cover the slide.
5. Look at the onion piece under the microscope. Look for the cells. Describe what you see and try and identify the different parts of the plant cell. Take notes.
6. Slice the wine cork until you can get a thin sliver.
7. Look at the sliver of cork under the microscope. Look for the different cork cells. How many do you see? How does it compare to the onion? Describe what you see and try and identify the different parts of the plant cell. Take notes.
8. Once three or more days have passed, take your carrot and slice it lengthwise (from top to bottom.) What do you notice?
You should be able to see how plant cells are bunched together within the cork and onion specimens. You may be able to see the nucleus and cytoplasms of either the cork and onion, and you will notice a difference in both shape and size between the two. When it comes to the carrot, you will notice that the blue food coloring has traveled up from the bottom of the carrot and is slowly making its way to the top. This shows you how plants can absorb water slowly through its cells and pass the nutrients along, one of the most important cell functions in a plant!
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