Advanced Microscopy and Cell Structure/Function

Please read every word on this paper before starting.

This activity is a combination of a lab work, research, and using previous knowledge. You can
accomplish the tasks listed here in any order, but you must do them all. If the materials for one
task are not available, do another. Record your information in an organized way, using full
sentences, on a separate sheet of paper. Practice independent microscope skills.

Bacteria Diversity
Collect three microscope slides that contain different species of bacteria. Gather the following
information for each of the three species using a microscope, online research, and any
previous information you have received.

 Does this species of bacteria cause illness in humans? If so, what illness? If not,
what do they do in nature?
 Draw a sketch of what each species looks like underneath a microscope, using at
least the 10x objective lens.
 What shape (use bacteria terminology) does each species possess? Do they
posses any exterior structures? If so, what are they used for?

Organs at the Cell Level

Collect a slide of animal organ tissue. Gather the following information using a microscope,
online research, and any previous information you have received.

 Using a microscope, identify at least two different cell types present within the
organ tissue. Sketch them, being sure to include distinguishing features.
 In a living organism, what is the function/functions of this organ? What organ
system is it part of?
 Based on the purpose of the organ and the structures you observed, speculate
on what different purposes the different cells you described provide to the
organ.

Pond Water Identification

Create a wet slide of pond water. Collect a Pond Water Identification Field Guide. Gather the
following information using a microscope, online research, and the provided field guide.

 Identify three different organisms in your pond water using a microscope and
field guide. Sketch them and label with their species name.
 For each organisms identified, answer the following questions:
o What kind of organism is it? (ie plant, protist, etc)
o What role does it have in the pond ecosystem?
o What is one distinguishable structure and what is that structure’s
function?