BIO 130 Lab #3

Distribution of tissues within the leaf

Assessment: Measurement/Manipulation & Drawing
Procedures:
1. Cut a thin transverse section of the lower epidermis of the leaf
2. Mount on slide with a few drops of coomassie blue.
3. View under medium (10x) and high power (40x) and observe the arrangement of
tissues within the lower epidermis of leaf.
4. Make a detailed drawing (full field of view) of the lateral section of the leaf, clearly
showing the arrangement of the plant cells, stoma, guard cells and air spaces.
5. Make sure to correctly label your diagrams.
6. Calculate accurate magnification and include it in the title.
7. For your discussion, discuss the importance of the structures you observed in the
lower epidermis of leaf.

Mark Scheme  

Correct manipulation of apparatus (M/M)

Use the blade to cut the section of lower epidermis [2]
Transfer sections using tweezers [2]
Use a fine drop of coomassie stain [2]
Manipulate the cover slip over the specimen  [2]
Use the microscope to focus image under medium (10x) [2]
Use the microscope to focus the image under high (40x) [2]

Drawing – (DR)

Clarity and Accuracy:

Clear, accurate representation of specimen [2]
No shading, no unnecessary detail [2]
Clean, continuous lines of even thickness [2]
Looks like specimen at magnification [1]
Annotations/Labels:
Lines drawn with ruler in pencil, not crossing [1]
Lines touching labeled structure, no arrowheads [1]
Accurate labels and annotations [1]
Acceptable Title:
Accurate description of specimen, below drawing, in caps, underlined [1]
Calculate accurate magnification [1]

 Wet Mount/Staining:  

Used for aquatic samples, living organisms and natural observations, wet mounts suspend specimens in
fluids such as water, brine, glycerin and immersion oil. A wet mount requires a liquid, tweezers, pipette
and paper towels. 

Although wet mounts can be used to prepare a significantly wide range of microscope slides, they 
provide a transitory window as the liquid will dehydrate and living specimens will die. 

A variety of methods exist for staining microscope slides, including non­vital or in vitro stains of non­
living cells and vital or in vivo stains of living tissue. Staining provides contrast through color that 
reveals structural details undetected in other slide preparations. 
Stains are especially useful in the fields of histology, virology and pathology, allowing researchers to 
study and diagnose diseases, identify gram positive and negative bacteria as well as examine detailed 
attributes of a variety of cells. 

To prepare the slide: 

 Place a drop of coomassie blue in the center of the slide 
 Position sample on liquid, using tweezers 
 At an angle, place one side of the cover slip against the slide making contact with outer edge 
of the liquid drop 
 Lower the cover slowly, avoiding air bubbles 
 Remove excess water with the paper towel