BIO091

EXPERIMENT II:
CELL STAINING AND MEASURING CELL SIZE

LAB INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: PN UMI SHAKINA HARIDAN

Prepared by:
QAYYIM BIN AHMAD FIZAL (2021615816)
ALIAA BINTI OTHMAN (2021841588)
NUR ATHIRAH FATINI BINTI ABDUL MUAIN (2021867192)
AIDA HUMAIRA BINTI RAHIMI (2021469754)
KHAIRUNNISA SHAZLYN BINTI JOHARI (2021841542)
 OBJECTIVES
• To prepare a wet mount of plant cells and animal cells
• To compare stained plant and animal cells under the microscope
• To observe prepared prokaryotic cells using immersion lens

METHODOLOGY
In this experiment, the materials needed are Allium sp. (onion), iodine stain and
Methylene blue. On the other hand, the apparatus needed are scalpel, toothpick, forceps,
microscope slide, microscope, cover slip, and prepared prokaryotes slide.

Part I: Staining and observing plant and animal cells

A. Onion Cells

1. Small section of an onion, Allium sp. was cut.

2. Forceps were used to peel off the thin, transparent epidermis of onion.

3. Onion epidermal was placed in the center of a microscope slide.

4. One drop of iodine stain was put on the epidermis, and this is called a “wet mount”.

5. One edge of a cover slip was placed to one side of stain and slowly lowered the cover slip.

6. Edges of cover slip were touched with paper towel to remove excess stain.

7. Cells were examined under the microscope.

8. Cells that were observed at 400x magnification are drawn and labelled. Colour of the
stained cells are stated.
 B. Cheek cells

1. One drop of methylene blue was placed in the center of a microscope slide.

2. Toothpick was used to gently scraped the inside of cheek.

3. Cells were smeared and mixed in the methylene blue solution.

4. Steps 5 to 7 were repeated in Part B.

Part II: Observing prokaryotic cells

1. A prepared slide of prokaryotic cells was obtained from instructor. The slide was labelled
typical prokaryotic cells.

2. The bacteria was observed at 1000x magnification with immersion oil.

3. Photo was taken and cells were labelled accordingly.

RESULTS
Cells Onion cells Cheek cells Prokaryotic cells
Power of the lens

400x

1000x
 DISCUSSION
In Part I, the stains of plant and animal cells were observed under the microscope. For
plant cells, onion epidermis cells are used and iodine stain as the staining. For animal cells,
we used cheek cells and methylene blue solution to stain the cells.

When observing the onion epidermis cell at 40X magnification, the cell looked like an
innumerable rectangular interlocking structure (looks like bricks) at the image view. Within
the cells, dark small dots determined as the nucleus of the cell can be observed. When we
increase the magnification of the microscope, the number of the rectangular cells that can be
seen under the microscope will be decreased but the cells now are clearer than the first
magnification. At 400X magnification, the organelles that can be observed clearly are the cell
wall surrounding the cells, the larger nucleus, and the cytoplasm.

Experiment was carried forward with the cheek cells. When we observed the cheek
cells with a scanning lens (4X magnification of the objective lens), the cells were separated
from each other and in a random state could be seen. We are not able to study the part of the
cell well when we use this magnification of objective lens. At 400X magnification, the clear
image of one cell with clear cell membrane, dark nucleus in the center of the cell and the
cytoplasm could be observed under the microscope.

Prokaryotic cells can be seen under the microscope at the 400X magnification using the
immersion oil. Innumerable small purple circular shapes can be seen under the microscope.
The purple colour of the cells is obtained as the stain used is in violet colour. We are not able
to see the prokaryotic cells clearly as what we learned but still can observe the shape of the
prokaryotic cells.
 CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that staining the cells helps to enhance visualisation of the cell under the
microscope. The organelles of the stained plant cells that can clearly observe are the cell wall,
the nucleus in each cell and the cytoplasm. While the organelles of the stained animal cells
that can be examined are the cell membrane, the nucleus in each cell and the cytoplasm.
Lastly, the shape of the prokaryotic cells can be observed under the microscope using the
immersion oil. Wet mount of plant cells and animal cells was also prepared when carrying
out the experiment by placing a drop of iodine stain and methylene blue solution on the
epidermis and cheek cells respectively.