Introduction to Cells

Topic 2: Investigating Cells

Standard Grade Biology
 Magnification

Cells can be seen more clearly using microscopes

magnify
Microscopes _________________________ the cells

Microscopes may have two or

three__________________________________________
objective lenses

and one
___________________________________________.
eyepiece lens
 Calculating Magnification

To work out Total Magnification use the

following formula

TOTAL = magnification of
x magnification of
eyepiece lens objective lens
MAGNIFICATION
Since microscopes magnify cells we
have a new unit of measurement.

These new units are called

_________________________.
microns

1mm = 1000 µm
1 = 1 µm
1000
Measuring Cell Size

We can use microscopes to estimate the

size of cells we are looking at

e.g. if we know the diameter of the field of

our field of view we can then estimate the
size of the cells
a)if the field of view = 1mm

Field of view

Onion cell

1mm (1000 µm)

then onion cells are
0.5
______________ mm

500 microns
or ______________(µm) in length
b)if the field of view = 0.5mm or 500µm

then these cheek cells would be

500
100 µm in length
mm or ______________
5

0.5 mm (500 µm)

Human cheek
cell
Magnification Field of View
mm Microns (µm)

X40 4 4000

X150 1 1000

X400 0.5 500

Staining Cells

Animal and plant cells can be

stained
_________________________

so that the
structures within cells
____________________________________

seen more clearly

can be______________________________
_________________________
Iodine stains the

_________________________
nucleus of onion

cells and also its

cell wall
_________________________.
 Methyl Blue
_________________________ is

used to stain the

nucleus
_________________________ of

human cheek cells

__________________________.
 Acetic orcein
_________________________ is used to

chromosomes
stain the _________________________

present in the nucleus of cells which are

about to divide.
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