Cells lab #2 - Cell Safari

Objective: Observe and document various cells under the microscope.
Purpose:  To understand the different features of Animal , Plant and Prokaryote cells.

You will examine three separate cells:  One plant, one animal and one Prokaryote provided by the instructor.  For each one will document the following:

NAME = Name of specimen

TYPE = Plant, Animal, or PROKARYOTE
Cell Size = Size of individual cell in micrometers (indicate L or W and which cell if many sizes)

Diagram - A drawing of your field of view under the setting indicated on the chart. Be detailed. Use at LEAST THREE COLORS.

Next:  Do a ClEvR statement for one of the following experimental questions:

•Which cell types have a nuclei?
•Which cell types have a cell wall?

•Which cell types are bigger eukaryotic (plant and animal) or prokaryotic? 

Part II - Cell Safari

•Observe at least 10 quality “plant cell” drawings, what are 3 things that plant cells have in common?
•Observe at least 10 quality “animal cell” drawings, what are 3 things that animal cells have in common?
•Observe at least 10 quality “prokaryotic cell” drawings, what are 3 things that prokaryotic cells have in common?
•Many cells have specialized regions inside of them called 'organelles'. One of these major organelles is called the nucleus. The nucleus is often seen in cells under a microscope as a darker circular region inside of the cell. By looking around at other groups' slides can you determine which one of the three cell type does not have nuclei?
•Some cells have a thick, dark, organized, uniform, and clearly defined border surrounding individual cells. This is caused by an organelle called the cell wall. By looking around at other groups' slides, which two of the three cell types do you think have a cell wall?
•Look around at other groups' slides. Get size data from at least 4 groups for their 3 cell types. Find an 'average size' for each of the three cell types: plant, animal, and prokaryotic.
•Make a data table with your data for the above question
•Make a bar graph of the three different cell types' average size.
•Which of the three cell types showed the least variety from cell to cell on a single slide. In other words, which slide type (plant, animal, or prokaryotic) did all the cells on a slide generally look identical to the other cells in that slide?
•Which of the three cell types showed the most variety from cell to cell in the same slide? In which slides did all the cells look very different from the cells next to them?

•Why are the cells in these slides so different from other slides even in similar cell types? In other words, why don't all animal cells look the same? 

Part III

After viewing the exemplar samples, write a ClEvR statement for each type of cell (Plant, Animal, or PROKARYOTE)