Introduction: There are two basic cells type; prokaryotic and eukaryotic.

Prokaryotes usually reproduce by binary fission but the process of cell division in eukaryotes is more complicated. There are two type of cell division in eukaryotes; mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis occurs in the somatic cells whereas meiosis occurs in the gametes cells. Mitosis results in the production of two nuclei which both containing identical chromosomes (Bio 241 Cell Biology Lab Manual, 2007). There is a sequence for every cell division called as cell cycle. The cell cycle has two stages; interphase and mitotic (M) phase. The mitotic (M) phase which includes both mitosis and cytokinesis is the shortest part of the cell cycle (Reece, 2008). Interphase is a stage where the cell grows and copies its chromosomes in preparation for cell division. Mitosis is a stage where nuclear division occurs and it can be divided to four stages; prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Cytokinesis is a stage where the cytoplasmic division occurs. Cell division is different for both animals and plants. In animals, the cell division (mitosis) occurs almost anywhere except the gametes cells. However, in plants, the cell division occurs in a specialized region called meristems. Meristems are region for active growth. There are two types of meristem; apical and lateral meristems. Apical meristems usually found at the tips of plant organs, ie. shoots and roots (Bio 241 Cell Biology Lab Manual, 2007). In this experiment, we observed the mitosis in onion root tips. Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. To stain tissue for the identification of cells in the various stages of mitosis. To study the structure of chromosomes. To study the movement of chromosomes during mitosis To identify the stages of mitosis in plant cells

Materials:

Allium cepa (onion root tip)

Glass slides Cover slips Scalpel Glass rod

Blotter Tissue Forceps Petri dish Distilled water 1 M HCl Aceto-carmine staim Compound microscopes

Methodology: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 2-3 tips (about 1 cm) of onion roots were cut and transferred into 1.5 ml plastic micro-tube. 1 ml of 1 M HCl was added to the plastic micro-tube and incubated in 60 C water bath for 12 minutes. The roots tips were transferred to petri dish using forceps and then rinsed using distilled water for 3 times. The roots covered using Aceto-carmine for 12 minutes then transferred onto new petri dish and rinsed again (3 times) using distilled water. The unstained part of the roots was cut off and discards. The stained part of the root was transferred to slide and a drop of water was added to it. The root tip was covered using cover slip and the cover slip was pushed down with eraser. The root tip then was view under compound microscopes with magnification of 10x 40 x.

Discussion: From this experiment, we supposed to get the images of various stages in mitosis which includes prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. However, we only managed to get the image of telophase, the final stage of mitosis. We determined it as telophase because we saw the condensation of the chromosomes, followed by the formation of a new nuclear envelope around each group of chromosomes (Laboratory 3: Mitosis and Meiosis). Prophase is a stage where nuclear envelope is disappearing and the chromosome condensation occurs. Metaphase is a stage where chromosomes can be seen lined up at the equator. Anaphase is a stage where the sister chromatids have been pulled apart at the centromere and daughter chromosomes are migrating toward the poles (Chapter 8: Mitosis, 2007). Below is the image of the various stages in cell division.

(Bio 241 Cell Biology Lab Manual, 2007)

We might not obtain the other stages in mitosis due to our techniques in handling the sample. While preparing the sample, we may not add the exact amount of chemical such as HCl and Aceto-carmine. Besides that, we also may not incubate the sample in exact time, may be less or more. The other weakness in handling technique is we may not rinse the sample in proper way. The other factors that contribute to this matter (not getting the other stages of mitosis) are the maturity of the root. The region of maturation is where root hairs develop and where cells differentiate (Advanced Placement Biology Laboratory 3: Mitosis and Meiosis). Root has different regions. We may use the region that does not undergo rapid cell division. To overcome these weaknesses, we should improve our sampling technique. Questions: 1. Draw, label and explain the characteristics of each mitosis phase observed in this experiment.

In telophase stage, the new nuclei begin to form around the new sets of chromosomes at each end of the cell (Mitosis and Meiosis, 2005). 2. Which stage(s) have the easiest chromosome to see? Why is this so? Telophase. This is because there are new nuclear envelopes develop around the cell (Chapter 8: Mitosis, 2007). Besides that, we cannot observe other mitosis phase in this experiment except telophase. 3. Why are the cells in mitosis located near the tip of root? The cell division located at meristem (apical and lateral) and the apical meristem found at the tips of plant where the shoot and root are located (Bio 241 Cell Biology Lab Manual, 2007).

4.

What is the importance of mitosis towards plant growth? The mitosis in plant provides new tissues for the plant growth (Plant Growth, 2011). The new tissues consist of identical sets of chromosomes as the parent cell and can function as the parent cell function. The example is the growth of plant root. Plant root systems perform many essential adaptive functions including water and nutrient uptake, anchorage to the soil and the establishment of biotic interactions at the rhizosphere. Changes in the architecture of the root system, therefore, can profoundly affect the capacity of plants to take up nutrients and water. There are three major systems in the plant root. First, cell division at the primary root meristem enables indeterminate growth by adding new cells to the root. Second, lateral root formation increases the exploratory capacity of the root system; and third, root-hair formation increases the total surface of primary and lateral roots. Alterations to any of these three processes can have profound effects on root-system architecture and on the capacity of plants to grow in soils in which nutrient resources are limiting (Lopez-Bucio, 2003).

5.

What is the different in the process of mitosis between animal and plant cells? In animal cells, a pair of centrioles is located at the center of the centrosome but the centrosomes of most plants lack centrioles (Reece, 2008). Besides that, during cytokinesis animal cell will formed cleavage furrow whereas the plant cell will formed a cell plate.

6.

Explain the definition of chromatins, chromatids, chromosomes and centromeres? Chromatin is the complex DNA and proteins that makes up a eukaryotic chromosome. When the cell is not dividing, chromatin exists as mass of very long, thin fibers that are not visible with light microscope (Reece, 2008). Chromatid is onehalf of two identical copies of a replicated chromosome (Regina Bailey, 2012). Chromosome is a threadlike, gene-carrying structure that found in the nucleus. Each chromosome consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins (Reece, 2008). Centromere is the centralized region joining two sister chromatids (Reece, 2008).

7.

How many chromosomes are present in each daughter cell after mitosis is completed? What might happen if DNA replicate during interphase has not been completed properly?

Each daughter cell will have the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. If the parent cell has 46 chromosomes, each daughter cell also will have 46 chromosomes (Reece, 2008). If the DNA replicates have not been completed properly, the cell division or mitosis will not occur (Gennaro DUrso, 1995). 8. In an onion, what cellular part must form to fully complete mitosis and cell division? The cellular part that must form is the meristem apical and meristem lateral. 9. Why use onion root for viewing mitosis? The root is easy to grow to grow in large numbers, the cells at the tip of the roots are actively dividing, and thus many cells will be in stages of mitosis. Besides that, the tips can be prepared in a way that allows them to be flattened on microscopes slide so that the chromosomes of individual cells can be observed. The chromosomes also can be stained to make them more easily observable (Mitosis in Onion Root Tip Cells). Conclusion: As a conclusion, we are only able to observe the telophase stage of mitosis phase in this experiment. This is due to the maturity of the root and our technique in handling sample that we need to improve. References: Advanced Placement Biology Laboratory 3: Mitosis and Meiosis. Retrieved on 13th March 2012 from http://qsib.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/apbiolab3mitosismeiosis.pdf Bio 241 Cell Biology Lab Manual, 2007. Retrieved on 13th March 2012 from http://www.bio.boun.edu.tr/files/labmanuals/241labmanu_fall07_08.pdf Chapter 8: Mitosis, 2007. Retrieved on 13th March 2012 from

http://faculty.stcc.edu/nash/Mitosisforlab.pdf Gennaro DUrso, 1995. DNA polymerase alpha, a component of the replication initiation complex, is essential for the checkpoint coupling S phase to mitosis in fission yeast. Retrieved on 19th March 2012 from http://jcs.biologists.org/content/108/9/3109.full.pdf

Laboratory

3:

Mitosis

and

Meiosis.

Retrieved

on

13th

March

2012

from

http://www1.hudson.k12.ma.us/teachers/jsnyder/files/Lab03.pdf Lopez-Bucio, 2003. The role of nutrient availability in regulating root architecture. Retrieved on 19th March 2012 from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~bot.512/papers/Lopez Bucio.pdf Mitosis and Meiosis, 2005. Retrieved on 13th March 2012 from

http://biology.unm.edu/ccouncil/Biology_201/Homework/Examples/Mitosis%20and 20Meiosis.pdf Mitosis in Onion Root Tip Cells. Retrieved on 13th March 2012 from

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/introlab/Onion%20root%20mitosis.pdf Plant Growth, 2011. Retrieved on 19th March 2012 from

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/PlantGrowth.html Reece, C. (2008). Biology 8th Edition. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cunning. Regina Bailey, 2012. Chromatid. Retrieved on 19th March 2012 from http://biology.about.com/od/mitosisglossary/g/chromatid.htm