International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 1

BIOLOGY LABORATORY

REPORT 1
PRACTICAL 1 : MICROSCOPY, CELL OBSERVATION
& OSMOSIS
Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang
Class: Wednesday afternoon
Group: 04
Group members:
Hoàng Nguyên Vũ BTBTIU17069
Đặng Thị Kim Sang BTBTIU17156
Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh BTBTIU17143
Ngô Hoàng Phương Nhi BTBTIU17109
Date: 03/10/2018

Score: _________

Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang

 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 2
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

I/ PLANT CELLS AND ANIMAL CELLS OBSERVATION

1/- Introduction

Cells are basic units of organism. In order to understand any organism well, studying
the cells is very important. Both animals and plants are eukaryotic cells because it
contains membrane-bound organelles. The common features of animal cell and plant
cell are nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes. The
difference between plant cell and an animal cell however is that plant cell have cell
wall, chloroplast and a permanent vacuole. Because the sizes of these cells are
microscopic it can only be seen using a microscope. Therefore, in this experiment we
focused on the eukaryotic cells which are the plant cells and animal cells. The purpose
of this experiment is to observe the plant cell, animal cell. Moreover, by this
experiment we can also compare the plant cell and the animal cell (their size,
structure, nucleus…). The first sample that I’ve observed is onion cell which is
represent for the plant cell and the second one is cheek cell which is represent for the
animal cell.

2/-Procedure

a. Plant cell (Onion):

Break a piece of onion leaf in to half and take the outer layer of the leaf.

Put it on a slide, add a drop of water and cover it with a coverslip.

Put the sample on the stage and use the microscope to observe it with different
magnifications (4x, 10x, and 40x).

b. Animal cell (Cheek):

Scrape the inside of my cheek with a toothpick and spread it on a slide.

Add a drop of Lugol solution to the slide and put a coverslip on it.

Put the sample on the stage and use the microscope to observe it with different
magnifications (4x, 10x, and 40x).

3/-Results

Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang

 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 3
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

Plant cell: Large cell

 Cellular Membrane In particular shape

( mostly hexagon and square ).

 Nucleus yellow dot in Lugol solution .

 Cytoplasm all of the space in cellular

membrane .

ONION CELL (10x lens)

Animal cell: Small cell

 Cellular membrane different shape.

 Nucleus dark yellow dot in each cell .

 Cytoplasm all of the yellow space in

cellular membrane.

CHEEK CELL ( 10x lens )

)

4/-Discussion:
Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang
 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 4
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

a. The function of Lugol solution in these experiment: is that this solution makes
the nucleus to be more visible.
b. The difference between plant cells and animal cells.

Characteristic Plant cell Animal cell

Size Plant cells are usually larger Animal cells are usually
than animal cells smaller plant than cells
Nucleus Nucleus lies on one side in the Nucleus usually lies in the
peripheral cytoplasm central of cytoplasm
Present of cell Plant cells have cell wall Animal cells does not have
wall cell wall
Vacuole One large vacuole Many small vacuoles or the
lack of vacuoles

II/ OSMOSIS IN PLANT CELLS

1/-Introduction:

Osmosis is a special case of diffusion. By osmosis, water molecules move through

different sides of the permeable membrane from a solution which has lower solute
concentration to a solution which has higher solute concentration. Osmosis doesn’t
require energy but energy in water molecules will lose when water move from the side
with higher potential to an area with lower water potential.
When an animal cell or a plant cell is placed in a medium, which is a water solution, the
possible consequences are listed below.

A. Hypotonic condition

If the water concentration of the cells cytoplasm is lower than that of the medium (i.e.
the medium is a hypotonic solution) surrounding the cell then osmosis will result in the
cell gaining water. The water molecules are free to pass across the cell membrane in
both directions, but more water molecules will enter the cell than will diffuse out with
the result that water enters the cell, which will then swell up and could possibly burst.

B. Isotonic condition

If the water concentration inside the cell is the same as that in the surrounding medium
(i.e. the medium is an isotonic solution) there will exist a dynamic equilibrium between
the number of molecules of water entering and leaving the cell and so the cell
will retain its original size.

For example, the red blood cell in the blood plasma retains its shape because of the
isotonic nature of the plasma.
Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang
 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 5
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

C. Hypertonic condition

If the water concentration inside the cell is higher than that of the medium (i.e. the
medium is a hypertonic solution) the number of water molecules diffusing out will be
more than that entering and the cell will shrink and shrivel due to osmosis.

2/-Procedure:

Peeling a thin epidermis layer of the Zebrina pendula leaf (purple side).

Put a small drop of 0.85% NaCl (sodium chloride) on a clean glass slide.

Place the layer to the saline on the slide. Add a coverslip.

Observe the plant cells with the high power lens (40x)

Separating the continual experiment into 2 small sections:

Section 1:

Add 2-3 drops of 5% NaCl to edge of coverslip.

Observe the plant cell and the changes.

Section 2:

Add 2-3 drops of distilled water.

Observe the plant cell and the changes.

3/-Results

Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang

 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 6
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

Purple area has medium size Purple area very large and has light
0.85% NaCl purple
5% NaClcolor

Purple area has medium size Purple area very large and has
0.85% NaCl Water
light purple color

4/-Discussion:

Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang

 International University, Vietnam National University - HCMC 7
BIOLOGY LABORATORY

a. Explain the phenomenon

When we drop water into the plant cell, owing to the solution’s water potential is higher
than the cell, the cell will gain water through osmosis and become turgid.

When we drop water NaCl 0.85% into plant cell, the solution’s water potential is the
same as the cell, there will be no net movement of water across the cell membrane.

When we drop NaCl 5%, the solution water potential is lower than cell so it will lose
water by osmosis and become plasmolyzed cell.

b.When putting plant cells in concentrated NaCl, plasmolysis happened. When

putting animal cells in water, hemolysis occurred. What makes the phenomenon in
plant cells different from in animal cells?

When putting the plant cell in hypertonic solution (concentrated NaCl), the water
potential inside the cell greater than outside the cell, water moves from inside to outside
the cell, that causes cell shrink and plasmolysis happened.

When putting the plant cell in hypotonic solution (distilled water), the water potential
outside the cell greater than inside the cell, water moves from outside to inside the cell,
that causes cell swell and hymolysis happened.

The phenomenon in plant cell is different from animal cells due to the lack of cell wall
in animal cells.

Instructor : MSc. Nguyen Thien Quang