Practical Experiments-Plant Life

Class 10
Session 2020-2021
 Index
Expt no. Experiment Pg no.
1 Observation of permanent slides of stages of mitosis.
2 Demonstration of diffusion using potassium permanganate in water.
3 Demonstration of osmosis using the thistle funnel.
4 Demonstration of osmosis with the help of a potato osmoscope.
5 Absorption experiment using a small herbaceous plant.
6 Demonstration the transpiration with the bell jar method
7 Demonstration of Transpiration by cobalt chloride paper.
8 Demonstration of uptake of water and the rate of transpiration
using Ganong’s potometer.
9 Demonstration of necessity of light for Photosynthesis.
10 To demonstrate Moll’s half-leaf experiment for showing that CO2 is
necessary requirements for photosynthesis.
11 Demonstration of necessity of Chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
12 Demonstration of release of Oxygen during photosynthesis.
 Experiment 1
Aim
Observation of permanent slides of stages of mitosis.
Theory
 For entities to mature, grow, maintain tissues, repair and synthesize new cells, cell
division is required. Cell division is of two types: Mitosis & Meiosis.
 In mitosis, the nucleus of the eukaryotic cells divides into two, subsequently
resulting in the splitting of the parent cells into two daughter cells.
Procedure
 Place the slide on the stage of a good quality compound microscope.
 First observe it under the lower magnification (10X objective) to search the dividing
cells.
 Observe the dividing cell under higher magnification (40X objective) of the
microscope.
Observation:
The various stages of mitosis are:

1. Prophase
a) The process of mitosis is initiated at this stage wherein coiling and thickening of the
chromosomes occurs
b) Shrinking and hence the disappearance of the nucleolus and nuclear membrane takes
place
c) The stage reaches its final state when a cluster of fibres organize to form the spindle
fibres.

2. Metaphase
a) Chromosomes turn thick in this phase. The two chromatids from each of the
chromosomes appear distinct
b) Each of the chromosomes is fastened to the spindle fibres located at its centromere
c) Chromosomes align at the centerline of the cell
3. Anaphase
a) Each of the chromatid pair detaches from the centromere and approaches the
other end of the cell through the spindle fibre
b) At this stage, compressing of the cell membrane at the centre takes place

4. Telophase
a) Chromatids have reached the other end of the cell
b) The disappearance of the spindles
c) Chromatin fibres are formed as a result of uncoiling of daughter chromosomes
d) The appearance of two daughter nuclei at the opposing ends due to the
reformation of the nucleolus and nuclear membrane
e) At this phase, splitting of the cell or cytokinesis may also occur.
Stages Of Mitosis In A Plant Cell
Experiment 2
Aim:
Demonstration of diffusion using potassium permanganate in water.

Requirements:
Water, Beaker, Potassium permanganate crystals.

Procedure:
1. Take a beaker.
2. Fill half of it with water.
3. Add a few crystals of KMnO4 (Potassium permanganate) to it.
4. Observe what happens to the crystals. Also observe the change in the
colour of water in the beaker. 5. Leave the beaker undisturbed for some
time.
Observation:
1. The molecules of KMnO4 crystals start dissolving in water.
2. Molecules move away from their high concentration region in the beaker.
3. Molecules of KMnO4 crystals spread throughout the water.
4. Water in the beaker becomes pink to violet.
5. Change in colour of the water shows the process of diffusion.
6. Uniform pink colour shows the uniform distribution of molecules of KMnO4 crystals
throughout the water.

Precaution:
• Handle the beaker properly.
• Do not disturb the beaker after addition of KMnO4 crystals in the water.
Experiment 3
Aim:
Demonstration of osmosis using the thistle funnel.

Requirements:
Stand, thistle funnel, water, sugar solution, cellophane paper (semi-permeable membrane) and
beaker.

Procedure:
1. A thistle funnel is taken.
2. An cellophane paper is tied at the mouth of the funnel.
3. The thistle funnel is fixed to a stand in an inverted manner.
4. A beaker filled with water is taken and kept at the base of the stand.
5. The thistle funnel is introduced in the beaker.
6. Sugar solution is poured into the stem of the thistle funnel.
7. The level of the solution is marked.
8. The apparatus is left undisturbed for a few hours.
Observation:
The level of the sugar solution rises in the stem of
the thistle funnel.

Conclusion:
The water from the beaker moves into the thistle
funnel through the cellophane paper which is the
semi-permeable membrane.

Precaution:
1. The cellophane paper should be intact.
2. The level of the sugar solution in the thistle funnel
should be carefully noted.
Experiment 4
Aim:
Demonstration of osmosis with the help of a potato osmoscope.

Requirements:
A petri-dish, water, 20% sugar solution, a potato, a knife and some paper pins.

Procedure:
1. Cut one side of the potato tuber to obtain a flat surface.
2. Bore a deep cavity in the flat surface with a thin base left.
3. Peel the opposite side of the cavity and chop the base to make the potato stable.
4. Pour 20% sugar solution in the bored cavity up to one-fourth of its volume.
5. Mark this initial level with a paper pin.
6. Place the potato with its bored side facing upwards in the petri-dish filled with water.
Observation:
1. The level of solution in the cavity rises above the initial.
2. Insert one paper pin to mark this final level.

Conclusion:
1. Water level inside the potato osmoscope increases because of endosmosis.
2. Water molecules move from their region of higher concentration (petri-dish) to sugar
solution in the cavity (lower concentration).
3. Potato cells present between the two regions act as semi-permeable membrane.
Experiment 5
Aim:
Absorption experiment using a small herbaceous plant.

Requirement:
Wide-mouthed bottle fitted with a cork, plant, oil, glass marker

Procedure:
1. A wide-mouthed bottle fitted with a cork is taken.
2. It is filled with water and a rooted plant is inserted through the central hole of the
cork so that the roots dip in water.
3. All connections are made air-tight. Oil is spread on the water surface to avoid
evaporation
4. The initial water level is marked and the whole set-up is kept in an open atmosphere
for a few hours.
5. The level of water is noted at an interval of half an hour.
Observation:
The level of water in the bottle gradually
decreases with time.

Inference:
1. Water is absorbed by the roots,
translocated through the stem and
ultimately reaches the leaves from
where it is lost due to transpiration.
2. A suction force is thus developed and
the absorption is maintained.
Experiment 6
Aim:
Demonstration the transpiration with the bell jar method

Requirements:
Bell jar, well-watered potted plant, rubber sheet, glass plate, Vaseline.

Method:
1. Take a well-watered, healthy potted plant and cover the pot with the help of rubber sheet.
Only aerial parts of the plant should remain uncovered.
2. Keep the potted plant on a glass plate and cover it with a bell jar
3. Apply vaseline at the base of the bell jar to prevent the outer air to pass in the bell jar.
4. Keep the whole apparatus in light and observe for some time.
5. Set another experiment exactly in the same way except that the pot should be without
any plant.
Observations:
Water drops appear inside the wall of the bell jar
containing a potted plant while there is no drop in
the another bell jar which is without any plant.

Results:
Because water drops appear only in the bell jar in
which pot is having a plant with its only aerial parts
exposed, so it can be concluded that these drops
appeared due to the process of transpiration from
the aerial parts of the plant. The same can also be
concluded by the observations of the control
apparatus, in which no water drop appears due to
the absence of plant in the pot.
Experiment 7
Aim:
Demonstration of Transpiration by cobalt chloride paper.

Requirements:
Filter paper, cobalt-chloride solution, a potted plant, clip.

Procedure:
1. Some pieces of the filter paper are dipped in cobalt chloride solution
and then dried off.
2. They are blue coloured.
3. Two such pieces of filter paper are taken and pressed on both the
surfaces of the leaf of a potted plant with the help of a clip.
4. This apparatus is kept for some time as such.
Observation:
After a few hours, when it is observed, the cobalt chloride paper of the lower surface of the
leaf becomes pink coloured.

Results:
The dried blue coloured cobalt chloride paper turns red as it becomes moist. The stomata
are confined mostly on the lower surface of the leaf, and therefore, the cobalt chloride
paper of that surface becomes moist and turns red. The paper of the upper side of the leaf
may also become pink to some extent, as few stomata are found on this side
Experiment 8
Aim:
Demonstration of uptake of water and the rate of transpiration using Ganong’s
potometer.

Requirements:
Ganong’s potometer, twig, water, beaker, grease, stop watch.

Procedure:
1. Fill the apparatus with water through the water reservoir.
2. Insert a freshly cut twig in the water of the vertical arm through the hole of the cork.
3. Make all the joints air-tight by applying grease.
4. Insert an air bubble in the graduated tube and keep the whole apparatus in sunlight.
5. Note the initial and final readings of the bubble in given time in different conditions like
sunlight, shade, darkness and by placing the plant in front of a fan in sunlight.
Observation and Results:
The observations of above table indicate that the largest distance is travelled by the
bubble in a given time when the apparatus is placed in front of a fan in sunlight and
the distance travelled is least in the shade. There is no change in the position of
bubble when the apparatus is placed in darkens.
Experiment 9
Aim:
Demonstration of necessity of light for Photosynthesis.

Requirements:
A potted plant, 70% alcohol, iodine solution, water

Procedure and Observation:

1. A potted plant is kept for 48 hours in dark so that it becomes starch free.
2. Now, on testing the leaves for the starch, they give negative test.
3. This shows that in the absence of light there is no photosynthesis.
Explanation:
As the plant was kept in darkness continuously for a long period, there was no
photosynthesis, and the starch already prepared was utilized by the living tissues of
the plant during this period.
Experiment 10
Aim:
To demonstrate Moll’s half-leaf experiment for showing that CO2 is necessary
requirements for photosynthesis.

Requirements:
A potted plant, caustic potash, wide- mouthed bottle, iodine, split cork, water.

Procedure:
1. De-starch a potted plant by putting it in complete darkness for two days.
2. Fill partly a wide-mouthed bottle with strong solution of caustic potash and fit a split
cork on its mouth.
3. Insert about half of the portion of a leaf of the de-starched plant into the bottle through
the split cork
4. Place the whole apparatus in light after applying grease on the upper portion of split
cork, and test the leaf for stach after about 10 hours.
Observations:
Portions of the leaf inside the bottle as well as in
between the split cork show negative test for starch
indicating the absence of photosynthesis while the
portions outside the split cork show positive test for
starch indicating the presence of process of
photosynthesis in this region.

Results:
Negative starch test by the leaf portion present
inside the bottle indicates that process of
photosynthesis is absent in this region. This portion
of leaf is getting all the essential requirements, i.e.,
light, chlorophyll and water except the CO2 because
the latter is absorbed by the caustic potash. Thus, it
can be concluded that CO2 is necessary for this
process.
Experiment 11
Aim:
Demonstration of necessity of Chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

Requirements:
Some variegated leaves, 70% alcohol, iodine, water, burner, etc.

Procedure:
1. To prove the necessity of chlorophyll for photosynthesis some plant
variegated leaf.
2. Destarch the plant by placing it in darkness for 48 hours.
3. After the 48 hours, the plant is placed in sunlight for a few hours
4. Now, test the leaves for the starch
Observation and Explanation:
The portions of the leaves containing white or yellow spots do not give positive
starch test. They do not become blue when brought in contact of iodine
solution. This experiment proves that the photosynthesis takes place only in the
green coloured portion of the leaves.
Experiment 12
Aim:
Demonstration of release of Oxygen during photosynthesis.
Requirements:
Few branches of an aquatic plant, i.e., Hydrilla, etc., beaker, glass funnel, test
tube, sodium bicarbonate, etc.
Procedure:
1. A few branches of an aquatic plant, Hydrilla are kept in a big beaker full of the
same pond water.
2. Thereafter, the branches are covered with a glass funnel, and a test tube full of
water is inverted at the end of the funnel as shown in the figure.
3. If required, a small quantity of sodium bicarbonate may be added in the water,
so that the supply of carbon dioxide may become adequate for the
photosynthesis.
4. Now, the apparatus is kept in the sunlight.
Observation:
The gas bubbles may be observed from the ends of the Hydrilla branches
kept under the glass funnel in the beaker. These gas bubbles are accumulated
in the end of the test tube inverted over the end of the funnel, and the water
within the tube goes downward. On test the gas is to be proved oxygen.
Note:
To test the gas, the pyrogallol solution is taken in a beaker, and with the help
of the thumb the tube partially filled with gas is kept inverted in the
pyragallol solution. The solution enters the test tube and the tube again fills
up completely because the pyragallol solution is soluble in oxygen.