L.15 ANIMAL CELLS vs PLANT CELLS

INTRODUCTION:

We compared the animal cells and the plant cells. Animal cells are similar to plant cells in that they are both eukaryotic cells and have similar organelles. Animal cells are generally smaller than plant cells. While animal cells come in various sizes and tend to have irregular shapes, plant cells are more similar in size and are typically rectangular or cube shaped. A plant cell also contains structures not found in an animal cell. Some of these include a cell wall, a large vacuole, and plastids. Plastids, such as chloroplsts, assist in storing and harvesting needed substances for the plant. Animal cells also contain structures such as centrioles, lysosomes, cilia, and flagella that are not typically found in plant cells.

Our Objectives:

- Identify the major components of cells. 

- Differentiate between animal and plant cells.

- Measure dimensions of the entire cell and the nucleus.

MATERIALS:

- Toothpick
- 2 Slides
- 2 Cover slips
- Distilled water
- Methylene blue
- Iodine ( safranin)
- Onion
- Glycerine
- Watch glass
- Droper
- Needle
- Brush
- Cellulose paper
- Microscope

PROCEDURE:

- Plant cells observation: 
1. Pour some destilled water into a watch glass.
2. Peel of the leaf from half a piece of onion and using forceps, pull out a piece of transparent onion peel (epidermis) from the leaf.
3. Put the epidermisin the watch glass containing distilled water.
4. Take a few drops of safranin in a droppper and transfer into another watch glass.
5. Using a brush (or a needle), transfer the peel  into the watch glass containing the dye. Let this remain in the safranin solution for 30 seconds, so that the peel is stained.
6. Take the peel from the odine solution and place it in the watch glass containing distilled water.
7. Take a few drops of glycerine in a dropper and pour 2-3 drops at the center of a dry glass slide.
8. Using the brush, place the peel onto the slide containing glycerine.
9. Take a coverslip and place it gently on the peel with tha aid of a needle.
10. Remove the extra glycerine using cellulose paper.
11. View it in the microscope.

- Cheek cells observation:
1. Gently scrape the inner side of the cheek using a toothpick, which will collect some cheek cells.
2. Place the cells on a glass slide that has water on it.
3. Mix the water and the cheek cells using a needle and spread them.
4. Dry the sample under the light to fix the sample on the slide.
5. Take a few drops of methylene blue solution using a dropper and add this to the mixture on the slide.
6. After 2-3 minutes remove any excess water and stain from the slide using cellulose paper.
7. Take clean cover slip and lower it carefully on the mixture with the aid of a needle.
8. Using the top of the needle, press the cover slip gently to the spread the epithelial cells.
9. Remove any extra liquid around the cover slip using cellulose paper.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:

Plant cells: 


MR= MA/ NA
cell:
MR= 6,9/400= 0'017cm
0'17cmx10000= 172'5 microns

nucleous: 
400= 0'7x10000/X
X= 7000/400= 17'5 microns



 Eduard cheek cells:

400= 1'5x10000 microns/ X 
X= 1'5x10000 microns/ 400= 37'5

400= 0'3x10000 microns/ X
X=  0'3x10000microns/400= 7'5 microns