Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE
KAYPIAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

EXPERIMENT NO. ______

STRAND / GRADE AND SECTION: _______________________________________ DATE: _____________________

GROUP MEMBERS:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREPARING WET MOUNT LAB

MATERIALS
Onion Slice Cover slips Tweezers
Microscope Eyedropper Worksheet
Microscope slides Iodine
Water Methylene Blue

PROCEDURE
Preparing the wet mount slide of onion skin
1. Break an onion slice in two.
2. Carefully pull the slice apart.
3. Use tweezers to pull off a very thin piece of onion skin (the thinner, the better)
4. Place the skin in the center of the slide. Try to keep it from folding; get it as flat as possible.
5. Add a drop of water to the onion skin and cover with a cover slip.
6. Press the cover slip down carefully to remove any air bubbles.
7. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope, set it to low power, adjust the focus so the onion slice is clear. Draw four
or five cells as seen. Label the cell walls.
8. Switch to higher power and try to identify the cell membrane, nucleus, and cytoplasm.

STAINING THE ONION CELLS

1. Lift up the cover slip and add one or two drops of iodine to the slide.
2. Lower the cover slip and, if there are air bubbles tap gently till they are gone.
3. Examine the cells on higher power (remember to start from low power)
4. Iodine stains different parts of the cells so that different organelles can be seen. Draw four or five cells as seen.
5. Label the cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus on one of the cells.

FOR THE CHEEK CELL

1. Take a clean Q-tip and gently swab the inside of your cheek.
2. Swab the Q-tip on the centre of the slide.
3. Prepare a wet mount like you did with the onion.
4. Find the cheek cells under medium power and draw your what you see
5. Stain cells using methylene blue solution as the dye (be careful it will stain cloths and skin if it gets on you)
6. View cells under high power and do a labelled biological drawing

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1. What is the general shape of the onion cells? How does that compare to the cheek cells?
2. Why do you think there are so many onion cells close together?
3. Why is it easier to see the onion cells after they are stained?
4. All plant cells have cell walls. What is the function of the cell wall?
5. Determine the size of Field of View for each drawing (show your calculations).
6. For the Stained slides label the actual size of one cell (in µm) on your drawing.
Kaypian THRIVES
Trends, Holistic, Research-based, Innovative and Visionary Education for San Joseños

Address: Sitio Looban, Kaypian Proper, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan 3023
Tel. No.: 0967-231 8831
Email Address: 307510.sjdmc@deped.gov.ph
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE
KAYPIAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

ONION CELL OBSERVATION:

LOW POWER OBJECTIVE HIGH POWER OBJECTIVE

CHEEK CELL OBSERVATION:

LOW POWER OBJECTIVE HIGH POWER OBJECTIVE

Kaypian THRIVES
Trends, Holistic, Research-based, Innovative and Visionary Education for San Joseños

Address: Sitio Looban, Kaypian Proper, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan 3023
Tel. No.: 0967-231 8831
Email Address: 307510.sjdmc@deped.gov.ph
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE
KAYPIAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Kaypian THRIVES
Trends, Holistic, Research-based, Innovative and Visionary Education for San Joseños

Address: Sitio Looban, Kaypian Proper, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan 3023
Tel. No.: 0967-231 8831
Email Address: 307510.sjdmc@deped.gov.ph