Pre Lab Report Essay

418 Words2 Pages
In certain tissues, such as plant root and shoot tips, cells are actively dividing. These cells do nothing more than divide, grow, divide, grow, divide, and grow as rapidly as temperature and raw materials allow. When there is plenty of food and water and when weather conditions are good, the time between their successive cell divisions is also reasonably constant. The objective of this lab activity is for you to 1) gain experience using a microscope, 2) observe cells and accurately determine their mitosis phase and 3) correlate your observations about the time spent in various phases to the actual tasks and activities completed by the cell during that phase. Pre-lab: Using this information and your textbook, answer the pre-lab questions.…show more content…
Place your slide on the stage and secure it with stage clips. 2. Use the coarse adjustment knob to bring the stage up as high as it will go. 3. Look through the eyepiece and move the stage down using the coarse adjustment knob, and bring the image into focus. Use the fine adjustment knob to fine-tune your focus. 4. Without moving either of the adjustment knobs, swivel the objective to a higher magnification. The object should stay relatively focused, and you can make small adjustments with the fine adjustment knob. DO NOT use the coarse adjustment knob!! LAB PROCEDURE: 1. Observe cells at the tip of the root, in the zone of cell division, as shown in the diagram to the right. BEWARE! You must take your sample from the zone of cell division (apical meristem) or you won’t get a mix of cell cycle phases!! 2. Draw and label a representative cell from each stage, placing the cells in proper sequence. Write a caption for each drawing that indicates the features that placed the cell in its stage. 3. Complete the lab worksheet data table and analysis to determine quantitative estimates of stage duration. Survey at least 100 cells, noting the number in each stage of the cell cycle. Make sure you count cells from a representative area of rapid cell
Open Document