Video on how to use the microscope

https://youtu.be/ghdWc94ZIYU?si=Z3CfZvq94RlFVHki

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 SCI1001 – Lab Five

Objectives of this Experiment:

 to prepare wet slides of plant and animal cells
 to use the microscope to view plant and animals cells
 to create drawing of plant and animal cells

Materials: prepared slides of plant and animal cells, light microscope, onion, tweezers, microscope
slide, cover slip, iodine, toothpick, methyl blue stain

Activity 1: Preparing a slide of an onion cell and viewing under the microscope
1. Collect all your apparatus (carrying the microscope carefully).
2. Using tweezers carefully peel off a thin layer of epidermis from the onion.
3. Lay the membrane on the microscope slide in a single flat layer.
4. Place a very small drop of iodine on to the membrane.
5. Carefully lower a cover slip on top of the membrane (make sure there are no air bubbles).
6. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope.
7. Make sure the lowest objective lens is over the specimen.
8. Carefully use the course focusing knob to lower the objective lens to just above the slide.
9. Look through the eye piece and carefully use the fine focusing knob to focus the image.

Result
1. On a sheet of blank paper, draw three cells that you see under the microscope. Your
drawing should have clean lines. YOU ARE DRAWING IN PENCIL The drawing should
take up at least half of the blank sheet. Label the parts of the cell that you see on the right
side of the drawing using a ruler.
2. Give your drawing a title. It should start like this: “Drawing of ………” Include the
magnification in the title.

Activity 2: Preparing a slide of a cheek cell and viewing under the microscope
1. Gently scrape the inside lining of your cheek with a clean toothpick.
2. Smear toothpick onto clean glass slide.
3. Add 1 drop of methyl blue stain.
4. Place cover slip over stain.
5. Under the compound microscope, locate and observe your cheek cells under low, medium
and high power

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Result
1. On a sheet of blank paper, draw three cells that you see under the microscope. Your
drawing should have clean lines. YOU ARE DRAWING IN PENCIL The drawing should
take up at least half of the blank sheet. Label the parts of the cell that you see on the right
side of the drawing using a ruler.
2. Give your drawing a title. It should start like this: “Drawing of ………” Include the
magnification in the title.

Analysis
1. You will be given two slides with two different cells. These slides have already been
prepared.
2. You are expected to view these slides under the microscope. You will be given a mark out
of 10 on your ability to use the microscope. I hope you were paying attention during class.
3. You are expected to create TWO drawings showing the cells and corresponding organelles
that you see for EACH slide.
4. Label the organelles in your drawings using a ruler
5. Include a title for your drawings. Say in your title whether the cell is a plant cell or an
animal cell.