The document describes an experiment to observe the stages of the cell cycle in onion root tip cells under a microscope. Students will examine slides of onion root tips and draw and label cells they observe in different stages of the cell cycle, including interphase and the stages of mitosis. By observing the rapidly dividing cells of the onion root tip, students can see the phases of mitosis and learn how chromosomes are duplicated and distributed between new cells to maintain the correct number of chromosomes.
The document describes an experiment to observe the stages of the cell cycle in onion root tip cells under a microscope. Students will examine slides of onion root tips and draw and label cells they observe in different stages of the cell cycle, including interphase and the stages of mitosis. By observing the rapidly dividing cells of the onion root tip, students can see the phases of mitosis and learn how chromosomes are duplicated and distributed between new cells to maintain the correct number of chromosomes.
The document describes an experiment to observe the stages of the cell cycle in onion root tip cells under a microscope. Students will examine slides of onion root tips and draw and label cells they observe in different stages of the cell cycle, including interphase and the stages of mitosis. By observing the rapidly dividing cells of the onion root tip, students can see the phases of mitosis and learn how chromosomes are duplicated and distributed between new cells to maintain the correct number of chromosomes.
The document describes an experiment to observe the stages of the cell cycle in onion root tip cells under a microscope. Students will examine slides of onion root tips and draw and label cells they observe in different stages of the cell cycle, including interphase and the stages of mitosis. By observing the rapidly dividing cells of the onion root tip, students can see the phases of mitosis and learn how chromosomes are duplicated and distributed between new cells to maintain the correct number of chromosomes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION When a cell divides, its cytoplasm is split and shared between two new cells. The nucleus, however, cannot be split and shared. Because the nucleus contains vital information on chromosomes that enables a cell to carry out its life functions, each new cell needs a complete set of chromosomes. When a cell begins to divide, the chromosomes are duplicated. Two complete sets of chromosomes are produced. Then, the chromosomes are distributed between the two cells so that each new cell gets a complete set. Division of the nucleus, including duplication and sorting of chromosomes, is called mitosis. The process of mitosis occurs in a sequence of steps or phases. These phases are visible under the microscope in the rapidly growing cells found in an onion root tip. In this laboratory exercise, you will examine the phases of mitosis in an onion root tip.
PROBLEM What are the stages of the cell cycle in a plant cell?
MATERIALS - Microscope - Prepared slide of onion root tip
PROCEDURE 1. Obtain prepared slide of onion root tip. 2. With the microscope, examine the onion root tip under low power to find cells in various stages of the cell cycle. After you have located the various stages of the cell cycle under low power, switch to medium power and refocus microscope. Draw and label a cell from each stage of the cell cycle. Be sure to identify each stage Interphase ______________ ____________
_____________ ___________
OSERVATIONS
1. Describe what is happening in each stage of the cell cycle.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.What is the color of the chromosomes? Of other cell structures?
____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Explain how the chromosomes are sorted during mitosis. How is the sorting process related to the
changes you observed during the phases of mitosis?
