LABORATORY ACTIVITY

ONION
CELL
OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will know how to use microscope properly;
2. Students will know how to prepare specimen slide/s; and
3. Students will observe the structure of a plant cell.

MATERIALS:
1. Microscope 4. Dropper 7. Onion skin
2. Glass Slides 5. Razor Blade 8. Iodine stain
3. Cover slips 6. Stain
PROCEDURES:
1. Peel and cut a translucent piece of tissue from the onion.
Translucent means that you can see light through the
specimen, but it is not transparent.
2. Place the piece of onion on a glass slide and add a drop or
two of the iodine solution. Cover the slide with a cover
slip using your best wet-mount making techniques.
3. Observe the onion cell under both low and high power.
Make a drawing of one onion cell, labelling all of its parts
as you observe them. (at minimum you should observe
the nucleus, cell wall, and cytoplasm).