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An experimental study on plant and animal cell structure
Aim
The aim of this experiment is to study the ultrastructure of plant and animal
cells and see the way they differ between each-other.
Introduction
Cells are microscopic building blocks of unicellular and multicellular living
organisms. Animal, plant, fungal and bacterial cells are different in terms of
structure but also have many similarities. An example is the fact that plant cells
can contain chloroplasts while animal cells do not. In this experiment only plant
and animal cells will be analysed. Cells are microscopic so to see their structure
we need to use microscopes. Not all the structures are always clearly visible
from the microscope. We can see more structures clearly if we use stains to
colour specimens before putting them under the microscope. Stains are
coloured dyes that are absorbed by some cell structures but not by others. An
example of a stain which is used is iodine solution.
Educated guess
With a light microscope it is possible to identify all the ultrastructure and
differences between cells of different type
Variables
Dependent variables Independent variables Controlled variables
Visibility of cell structures Magni cation Quantity of Lugol
Clarity of the image Focus of microscope Thickness of slice ( 0 to 0.2 mm )
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Materials
- Onion —> made of eukaryotic plant cells
- Iris —> made of eukaryotic plant cells
- Saliva —> made of eukaryotic animal cells
- Lugol —> iodine solution to see the cell better
- Forceps —> handle the slice of material
without touching it
- Scalpel —> to cut slices of materials
- Phone camera —> report what seen
- Microscope —> equipment to analyse cells with magnification
- Pipette —> put iodine solution with more precision
- Slide —> for onion / saliva / iris
- Cover slip —> to keep cells pressed flat and to shape the iodine solution flat
- Denatured alcohol —> for safety precautions
- Cotton —> for safety precautions
- Napkin —> for material disposal
- Plastic spoon —> to scratch inside of cheek
- Methylene blue —> to see the cell in a better way
Method for onion / iris plant cells
Firstly turn on the microscope by connecting the plug to the socket. Cut a slice
of onion / iris thinner as possible (cells are more visible in this way) helping
your self with the forceps. Move the cut slice of material onto a clean slide.
Afterwards, using the pipette, take enough Lugol to be able to then pour
precisely a drop on top of the onion / iris slice. Consequently pick up the cover
slip and position it on top of the slide. Press it gently in the way to flatten the
onion / iris slice, and to shape the iodine solution around in an homogeneous
manner. Properly place the whole thing on the slide holder of the microscope
and turn on the light to be able to see the cells. Adjust the intensity of the light
to be able to see the cell structure as efficiently as possible. Try and observe the
tissues with all four magnifications available on a simple light microscope (4 x;
10 x; 40 x; 60 x). Report what seen with the phone camera and note down the
structures visible / recognisable of the cell.
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Method for cheek animal cell
Firstly turn on the microscope by connecting the plug to the socket and light up
the lamp to a level enough bright to be able afterwards to see the cells. Scratch
the inside of your cheek with the plastic spoon. Put the cells obtained from
scratching on a slide. Afterwards pour one drop of methylene blue on the slide
with the cells to see the structure more precisely and wait 2 minutes for the
methylene blue to be absorbed by the cells. Using the pipette, carefully wash
out the methylene blue in excess. Consequently pick up the cover slip and
position it on top of the slide. Press it gently in the way to flatten the cheek cells
and the methylene blue homogeneously. Adjust the intensity of the light to be
able to see the cell structure as efficiently as possible. Try and observe the
animal cells with all four magnifications available on a simple light microscope
(4 x; 10 x; 40 x; 60 x) and report all seen with the camera. Looking at the
pictures taken analyse what structures of the cells can be seen.
Results
- plant cell drawing compared to onion cell at 60 x
Nucleus
Cell wall
Nucleolus
Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Vacuole
1 µm
Figure 1 —> drawing of ultrastructure Figure 2 —> picture of onion cells 60 x
of plant cells
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- plant cell drawing compared to iris cell at 10 x
Cell membrane
Cell wall
Vacuole
Cytoplasm
Chloroplast
1 µm
Figure 3 —> drawing of ultrastructure Figure 4 —> picture of iris cells 10 x
of plant cells
- animal cell drawing compared to saliva cell at 40 x
Mitochondria
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Cell membrane
1 µm
Figure 5 —> drawing of ultrastructure Figure 6 —> picture of cheek cells 40 x
of animal cells
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Table
Onion plant cell Iris plant cell Cheek animal cell
Visible structures Nucleus; Nucleolus; Cell Nucleus; Cell wall; Cell Nucleus; Cytoplasm;
wall; Cell membrane; membrane; Vacuole; Cell membrane;
Vacuole; Cytoplasm; Cytoplasm; Chloroplast; Mitochondria;
Non-visible structures Mitochondria; free Mitochondria; free Cytoskeleton; Nucleolus;
ribosomes; chloroplast; ribosomes; rER; sER; Mitochondria; free
rER; sER; Nucleolus; Nucleolus; ribosomes; lysosome;
peryxosome; rER; sER;
Percentage of 6 / 12 —> 50 % 5 / 12 —> 42 % 4 / 12 —> 33 %
structures recognised
Discussion
From the photos we can state that the educated guess was partially correct as not all
structures of the cell could be identified. We can deduce this by comparing the
drawing containing all the organelles present in the different cell types with the real
image of the cell. By doing so, many parts of the ultrastructure are not recognisable
as the resolution is not adequate and the image of the cell is not enough magnified to
be able to see the different parts sharply.
In the onion cell the structures identified were the nucleus, the nucleolus, the cell
membrane, the cell wall, the vacuole and the cytoplasm. Instead in the iris plant cell
were the chloroplast, the vacuole, the cell wall and the cell membrane. At last instead
in the cheek cells dozens of ribosomes, the nucleus, the cell membrane and the
cytoplasm were distinguished.
We can also see from the pictures that both the iodine solution and the methylene
blue had the effect wanted on the cells, in fact the structures visible were easily
identifiable.
The layers of an onion contain simple sugars (carbohydrates) some of which are
stored as starch. Given that iodine tends to bind to starch, it stains the starch granules
when the two come in to contact making them visible. Even though onion are plants,
no chloroplast were visible for the fact that the chloroplast necessary for
photosynthesis are largely present in the leafy part of the onion, which is exposed to
the sun and absent in the bulb which is below ground and away from sunlight.
Instead human cheek cells can be observed under a microscope after staining with
methylene blue dye. Since methylene blue (cationic in nature) binds with DNA and
RNA (anionic in nature) by electrostatic means, it gives a darker color to nucleic
materials.
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Conclusion
The images collected and analysed in the results did not fully confirm the
educated guess which stated that with a light microscope it was possible to
identify all the ultrastructure and differences between cells of different type.
Only some of the organelles present in the animal and plant cells were
recognisable while the other parts were not enough big in size to be able to
acknowledge their presence with the light microscope used.
Evaluation
Overall the experiment’s results found were not to take in consideration as examples
to classify the elements of the ultrastructure as the label was done on a theoretical
basis. This means that some organelles of the cell could have been labelled
mistakenly. To improve the reliability of the results, the experiment should be
conduced analysing more than one cell per type to be able to notice some aspects that
may have not been visible in the previous cells. The other important aspect that
would increase the validity of the results is labelling all cells at 60 x. If well focused,
the microscope is able to magnify the image at dimensions that would profit the
recognition of the ultrastructure of the cells.
References
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zyhrng8/revision/1
- https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=98800
