EXERCISE 7

IMBIBITION

OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate the process of imbibition

SPECIMENS

Dried melon seeds (4) and one mature pine cone (use only one scales)

MATERIALS

Petri dish, pan or small basin, ruler, tap water and oil, 2 dish foams (dry)

PROCEDURE

1. Measure the sizes (in cm) of 2 dried melon seeds, 2 cone scales, and 2 dish foams and record them
in the table below.

2. Using separate containers, soak the melon seeds (2), cone scales (2), and dish foams in equal
volume of tap water. Cover the containers and examine all the specimens during the next laboratory
period.

3. Repeat the same experiment using oil as the immersion medium instead of water.

RESULTS

Complete the following table below:

Size of Specimen

Specimen Substance Before After Observations

Water

1. Watermelon _____________________________________________________________________

Seeds Oil
2. Mature pine Water

Cone scale __________________________________________________________________

Oil

3. Dish foams Water

Oil

QUESTIONS

1. Can imbibition take place in living cells? Explain your answer.

2. Cellulose is a colloid. What part/s of plants contain/s cellulose?

3. Enumerate some factors that may affect the imbibition process.

4. Give practical situations that involve the process of imbibition.

 EXERCISE 8

MITOSIS

OBJECTIVE

To differentiate the different stages of mitosis

SPECIMEN

Prepared slides of Onion root tip (l.s.)

MATERIAL

Compound Microscope

PROCEDURE

1. Borrow the prepared slides of the onion root tip (l.s.)

2. Examine under LPO the whole longitudinal section and shift to HPO. Locate specific cells
undergoing the different stages of mitosis.

3. Draw each stage and label completely

RESULTS

Draw a cell in the different stages of mitosis (in proper order).

 Interphase 1.____________________ 2.________________

3.______________ 4.____________

QUESTIONS

A. Is it possible not to find all the mitotic stages in one longitudinal section? Why/ Why not?

B. What causes the ‘’ dancing of the chromosomes’’ towards the opposite poles?

C. Why is the root tip an ideal specimen for examining mitotic division?

D. What are spindle fibers made of?

E. Name the phase during which the following events take place:

__________________ 1. Formation of the cell plate

__________________ 2. Separation of sister chromatids and their movement towards the

opposite poles

__________________ 3. Alignment of the chromosomes at the equator

__________________ 4. Disappearance of the nuclear membrane

__________________ 5. Formation of two daughter cell

F. If each onion cell has 16 chromosomes, how many chromosomes will each cell receive just
after telophase?