Form 4 Lab

Activity Transport systems in plants and animals

Aim : 1.To observe, draw and label human blood cells.
2.To observe the uptake of water in xylem vessels.
Apparatus:
1 microscope
1 white tile
1 prepared slide of a blood smear
1 scalpel
1 hand lens
1 translucent plant (roots set in red dye)
Method A: 1. Placed a prepared slide of a blood smear under the light microscope,under a
high power (x40 lens). Focused to find both red and white blood cells.
2. Observed, drew and labeled the cells seen.
Method B: 1.Cut a piece of the stem of the plant using the scalpel. B
2. Used the hand lens to observe transection of lens
3. Drew observations, identified in the xylem vessels.
4. Sliced a stem length way (longitudinal section), using the scalpel.
5. Observed the section using the hand lens.
6. Drew observations, identified in xylem vessels.
7. Observed the leaves of the plant also. Recorded observations.
Results: a.
b) Some observations were that the plant that was placed in the dyed water the xylem vessels
were dyed and some of the flowers were dyed as well and the white blood cells in the blood
smear were blue.
Discussion: Xylem vessels are important in plants because they transport water and dissolved
minerals to leaves.The xylem is made up of dead cells and allows all particles and liquids to
pass through.water is important to plants because it enables photosynthesis

Conclusion: This lab was successful in showing how the xylem vessels work in plant cells and
showing how blood cells look under a microscope.

Reflection:This lab went smoothly with the only error being that the wrong slip was placed
under the microscope at first , but other than that it showed what was learned in class about
transport in plants.