Cell Biology and Genetics: Cell Structure and Function Lab

This lab is designed to give you an opportunity to see that organisms are, in fact,
composed of cells. We will look at both of the major cell types – prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
You will examine organisms from the Kingdoms Bacteria (also known as Eubacteria), Protista,
Animalia, and Plantae. As you proceed with your investigation, consider the fact that you are a
living organism, composed of the very things you are observing, i.e. you are literally ‘cells
looking at cells’.

Station 1: Kingdom Plantae (Elodea leaf)

1. Peel off one leaf of an Elodea sprig and place it on a clean slide.
2. Place 1 drop of water on top of the leaf.
3. Place a coverslip on top of the specimen.
4. Once you have centered the tip of the leaf in the field of view under scanning power,
view the leaf under all powers.
5. Draw and label the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, and chloroplasts. Make sure your
drawings are drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification,
and colored.
6. Are the chloroplasts moving? If not, move towards the center of the leaf and watch
for movement of the chloroplasts (you may have to focus up and down through the leaf
until you find some moving chloroplasts....remember that the leaf is 3-dimensional and
the microscope has a limited depth of focus).

If you can find some chloroplasts that are moving, you are seeing an example of cytoplasmic
streaming (also called cyclosis). Cytoplasmic streaming is the movement of cytoplasm from
one part of the cell to another part of the same cell. It serves to transport different molecules
to all parts of the cell, maintain optimal light and temperature conditions, and (in some cases,
although not in plants) cytoplasmic streaming serves to help the cell move. All cells exhibit
cytoplasmic streaming.

Note that the chloroplasts are moving around the outside of the cell, instead of moving
around near the interior. This is because most plant cells have a large central vacuole filled
mainly with water. You will probably not be able to see this vacuole directly, but you can infer
its existence by noting the position of the chloroplasts. Additionally, because of the central
vacuole, the nucleus of plant cells is not located in the approximate center of the cell, as it was
in your cheek cells. Although you may not be able to see the nucleus either (because it requires
staining to see easily) you might be able to find its location by noting an area in the cell where
the moving chloroplasts seem to slide over an invisible “bump” next to the cell wall.
Questions for Elodea Leaf:
1. What is the general shape of an Elodea cell?
2. What do you think the purpose of cyclosis is?

Lab Station 2: Kingdom Plantae (Onion Root cells)

1. With a fresh piece of onion bulb, use forceps to peel a very thin piece of onion.
2. Place the piece of onion on a clean slide.
3. Place a drop of water on top of the specimen.
4. Place a coverslip on top of the specimen.
5. View the specimen and focus it under scanning power and then view at other powers.
Draw what you see and label any structures you see.
6. Now, stain the onion with a drop of Iodine solution. Use proper staining technique to
accomplish this.
7. Focus the slide under scanning power and then view on other powers.
8. Draw and label the cell wall, cell membrane, and nucleus. Make sure your drawings are
drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification, and colored.

Questions for Onion Root cells:

1. How do the cells of the onion compare with animal cells you have seen before? Same?
Different? How?

2. How did the stain affect what you observed?

Lab Station 3: Kingdom Animalia (Skeletal Muscle cells)

1. Place the slide of skeletal muscle tissue under the microscope and focus under scanning
power. View the slide under all powers.
2. Draw and label the cell membrane and nucleus. Make sure your drawings are drawn
accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification, and colored.

Questions for Skeletal Muscle cells:

1. What do you notice about the number of nuclei within a skeletal muscle cell?

2. Skeletal muscle cells are known to have thousands of mitochondria. Explain how having
several mitochondria helps them in their function.

Lab Station 4: Kingdom Animalia (Human Cheek Cells)

1. Get a slide and place one drop of water on the slide.
2. With a flattened toothpick, scrape the inside of your cheek to get cheek cells.
3. Swirl the toothpick in the droplet of water to get the cheek cells off the toothpick. THROW
TOOTHPICK AWAY!!!
4. Place a coverslip on top of the cheek cells.
 5. Add a drop of methylene blue to the cheek cells.
6. View the cheek cells under all powers.
7. Draw and label the cell membrane and nucleus. Make sure your drawings are drawn
accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification, and colored.

Questions for Cheek cells:

1. Explain why the methylene blue is necessary.
2. What are two cell structures that are present in animal cells that you can’t see in the
cheek cells because they’re so small?

Lab Station 5: Kingdom Protista (Trypanosoma –OR- Paramecium)

1. Place the slide of trypanosoma or paramecium under the microscope and focus under
scanning power. View the slide under all powers.
2. Draw and label the cell membrane and other distinguishing characteristics. Make sure
your drawings are drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total
magnification, and colored

Questions for Tryanposoma cells:

1. Trypanosoma is a cause of African sleeping sickness. They are surrounded by blood
cells. What organelle do red blood cells lack? Why do you think blood cells lack that
organelle?
Questions for Paramedium cells:
1. Paramecium are use cilia for their motility. Explain how the motion of cilia are different
than flagella.

Lab Station 6: Kingdom Protista (Amoeba)

1. Place the slide of Amoeba under the microscope and focus under scanning power. View
the slide under all powers.
2. Draw and label the cell membrane, nucleus and other distinguishing characteristics.
Make sure your drawings are drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and
total magnification, and colored

Questions for Amoeba cells:

1. Amoebas are sometimes referred to as animal-like protists. Based on your observations,
list at least two characteristics that amoebas have in common with animals but not with
plants.

Lab Station 7: Kingdom Eubacteria (Bacillus bacteria)

1. Place the slide of Bacillus under the microscope and focus under scanning power. View
the slide under all powers.
 2. Draw and label the cell wall and other distinguishing characteristics. Make sure your
drawings are drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification,
and colored

Questions for Bacillus cells:

1. Describe the shape of the Bacillus bacteria.
2. Eubacteria are placed in a division depending on the type of cell wall they have. A
bacterium with a cell wall that has a large amount of petidoglycan, is classified as gram
(+) and stains blueish-purple. Bacteria with a thin peptidoglycan layer are classified
as gram (-) and will stain pink. Are these Bacillus gram positive or gram negative and
how do you know?

Lab Station 8: Kingdom Eubacteria (Types of Bacteria)

1. Place the slide of Types of Bacteria Slide under the microscope and focus under scanning
power. View the slide under all powers.
2. Draw and label the cell wall and other distinguishing characteristics. Make sure your
drawings are drawn accurately, labeled correctly with organelles and total magnification,
and colored

Questions for Types of Bacteria cells:

1. Explain the differences in shapes between the bacteria. Bacteria are categorized
based on their shape: coccus (sphere), bacillus (rod-shaped), spirilla (spiral shaped).
Label your diagrams with the correct shape.
2. What do you notice about the size of the bacteria compared to other eukaryotic cells?