Nt1310 Lab 1 The Cell

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Laboratory 1: The Cell 1 LABORATORY 1: THE CELL Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this laboratory, students should be able to: • Describe the basic organization of cells and tissues • Explain the difference in resolving power of light and electron microscopes, and use this knowledge to understand which organelles can be visualized with each • Use red blood cells as microscopic rulers for estimating sizes of other cells • Describe the location, function, and staining characteristics of nuclei and the main cytoplasmic organelles • Identify mitotic cells based on the structure of the chromosomes Keywords: hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) period acid-Schiff method (PAS) osmium staining cell (plasma) membrane protoplasm karyoplasm…show more content…
The plasma membrane acts as a selective barrier between the cell and its environment, and is a structure that you will study in detail throughout the year. The nucleus consists of a limiting double bilayer nuclear envelope containing nuclear pores enclosing the nucleoplasm. Small, irregular particles scattered throughout the nucleus or accumulated adjacent to the nuclear envelope are clumps of condensed chromatin known as heterochromatin. They consist of protein and DNA and stain with basic dyes. When the chromatin is dispersed and not readily stainable, it is known as euchromatin. Euchromatin is prevalent in cells that are active in the transcription of many of their genes while heterochromatin is most abundant in cells that are less active or not active. The nucleus often contains one or more nucleoli that are spherical or oval bodies composed chiefly of ribonucleoproteins. Nucleoli are usually stained with basic dyes because of their high RNA content and are generally larger in cells that are actively participating in protein synthesis. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a system of interconnected membranous sacs, channels, or cisternae in the cytoplasm. It has two subtypes: rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). The RER is a ribbon-like structure surrounding the nucleus near the base of the cell. Its surface appears rough due to the ribosomes attached to its membrane and it is the first organelle into which membranebound or extracellular proteins are inserted. SER lacks ribosomes and participates in lipid synthesis and detoxification. The Golgi apparatus is a system of membranous cisternae and vesicles arranged in stacks near the nucleus. The Golgi processes and modifies sugar side chains on proteins that are being secreted or destined for the plasma membrane or other membrane-bound organelles like the lysosome. Therefore, the Golgi apparatus is particularly prominent in cells synthesizing large

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