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1- Introduction
2- Objective
3- Material
4- Experimental procedure
5- Observation
6- Result
7- references
Introduction
In cell biology, mitosis is a part of the cell cycle when
replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. In general, mitosis (division
of the nucleus) is preceded by the S stage of interphase (during which the DNA is
replicated) and is often accompanied or followed by cytokinesis, which divides
the cytoplasm, organelles and cell membrane into two new cells containing roughly
equal shares of these cellular components. Mitosis and cytokinesis together define
the mitotic (M) phase of an animal cell cycle—the division of the mother cell into two
daughter cells genetically identical to each other.
The process of mitosis is divided into stages corresponding to the completion of
one set of activities and the start of the next. These stages
are prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During mitosis, the
chromosomes, which have already duplicated, condense and attach to
spindle fibers that pull one copy of each chromosome to opposite sides of the cell. The
result is two genetically identical daughter nuclei. The rest of the cell may then continue
to divide by cytokinesis to produce two daughter cells. Producing three or more
daughter cells instead of normal two is a mitotic error called tripolar mitosis or multipolar
mitosis (direct cell triplication / multiplication). Other errors during mitosis can
induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) or cause mutations. Certain types
of cancer can arise from such mutations.
Mitosis occurs only in eukaryotic cells and the process varies in different
organisms. For example, animals undergo an "open" mitosis, where the nuclear
envelope breaks down before the chromosomes separate, while fungi undergo a
"closed" mitosis, where chromosomes divide within an intact cell nucleus. Furthermore,
most animal cells undergo a shape change, known as mitotic cell rounding, to adopt a
near spherical morphology at the start of mitosis. Prokaryotic cells, which lack a
nucleus, divide by a different process called binary fission.
Objective:
Student Observes The Cells Of An Onion Root Tip And
Compares The Quantity Of Cells In The Different
Phases Of Mitosis.
Materials:
Small fresh onion
Small jars, glasses, or beakers
Toothpicks
Muriatic acid (10% HCl) found at hardware stores
Safety goggles
Latex gloves
Forceps or tweezers
Distilled water
Pipette or eye dropper
Paper towels
Razor blade or scalpel
2 needles or pins
0.5% Toluidine blue available online
Microscope slides and coverslips
Dissecting microscope or magnifying lens
Compound light microscope
Experimental Procedure:
Create your hypothesis as to which phase of mitosis you
believe will be most prevalent in your sample and
why. Base this hypothesis on which phase you believe will
take the longest amount of time in the cell. Next, insert 3-4
toothpicks around the sides of the onion and place the
onion root side down (stem side up) in a glass or jar of
water. The bottom of the onion should be submerged in the
water. Wait a few days for roots to grow.
Once there are long roots growing on the onion, remove the
onion from the water and use the razor blade or scalpel to
slice about 5 mm off the tips of the roots. Place the root tips
into another small beaker or thin-walled glass jar. Pour
muriatic acid into the jar with the root tips. Wear hand and
eye protection while working with the acid. Allow the root
tips to sit in the acid for about 20 minutes.
Use forceps to remove the root tips from the acid and rinse
the acid down the drain with plenty of running water. Place
the root tips on a microscope slide and rinse them several
times with a pipette and distilled water. Wear hand and eye
protection during these steps as well.
OBSERVATION
Different phase of onion cell
chromosomes
visible
chromosomes
line up
chromatids
separate
two nuclei visible,
cell splits
This is to count how many cells in your root tip specimen were ‘frozen in time’ in
different stages of division when this slide was made.
Prophase 10 13 18 41 20.10%
Metaphase 6 5 4 15 7.35%
Anaphase 2 3 2 7 3.43%
Telophase 7 5 4 16 7.84%
Total 100%
Determining Time Spent In Different Phases Of The Cell Cycle
Interphase 14 hours 42
minutes
Prophase
4 hours 49 minutes
Metaphase
1 hour 46 minutes
Anaphase
49 minutes
Telophase
1 hour 59 minutes
References:
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/
cell_cycle.html
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/introlab/Onion%20root
%20mitosis.pdf
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheet/mitosis_onion_key.html