Name: ______________

Week: ______________
Date: _______________

Microscope Lab: Identifying Plant vs. Animal Cells

Guided Inquiry

What Is a Cell?
As a zoologist, it is essential that you can determine which cells come from animals. In this lab, you will look
at 4 unlabelled slides. Using your knowledge of the differences between plant and animal cells (or your notes),
you will decide which cells are from animals and which cells are from plants.

1. Observe one prepared slide under the low-power lens of the microscope and then under the high-power
lens. Sketch the structures you observe under both lenses.
2. Repeat step 1 with the other prepared slides. With your partner, discuss and ask questions about your
observations.
Use the boxes below to draw a picture of what you see for each slide. Label your drawing “Plant Cell or
Animal Cell” justifying the reason behind your answer.

Plant or animal? Why?

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Plant or animal?
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Why?
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Plant or animal? Plant or animal?

_______________________________ ____________________________
Why? Why?
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Analyse and Conclude

1. Compare and Contrast What features do the cells you observed have in common? How are they
different from one another?

2. Use Models Study Figure 8-5, which shows different types of cells and some of their structures.
Which of these cells or structures do you think you observed and sketched?

2
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