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Plant Cells and Tissues

Use this handout to guide your examination of plant cells and tissues. Record your observations in the spaces in your
lab manual or a lab notebook, and in Table 24.3. Your TA will assign lab points based on your work. The handout and
table will be valuable for later review.

⇒1 – Cell walls (primary and secondary) (prepare a fresh wet mount slide of pear) (Phloroglucinol stain)
• Draw and label pear cells with just primary and cells with both primary and secondary cell walls.
• What other structures can you identify in those cells?
• How did you tell the difference between the two types of cells?

⇒2 – Plasmodesmata and middle lamella -- Use prepared slides - persimmon (Diospryos) endosperm
• On this slide, locate the plasmodesmata and middle lamella
• Make a drawing and label each structure
• What is the function of the plasmodesmata?

⇒3 – Vacuoles, cytoplasm, nucleus. Use red onion (Allium); neutral red stain is not needed.
• Draw a few cells observed from your wet mount preparation and label the cytoplasm, central vacuole, cell
membrane and cell wall, and nucleus.
• What functions do vacuoles serve?

⇒4 – Plastids
Chloroplasts and chromoplast plastids (make thin sections of green and red peppers)
• Observe these under the microscope and draw what you observe. Label the plastids
• What are the functions of chloroplasts and chromoplasts? – If you do not know, write hypotheses based on
your observations today.
⇒5 – Amyloplasts (leucoplasts)
• Make two fresh wet mount slides of potato, treat one with I2KI by wicking it under the coverslip.
• How are amyloplasts similar to chloroplasts, how are they different?
• What function do amyloplasts serve?

Plant Tissues
Dermal Tissues
• What different cell types are found in dermal tissues?
• Are each of these cells living or dead at functional maturity?

⇒6 & 8 – Epidermal cells


• Prepare a wet mount slide of a tissue peel from Zebrina. (Use same specimen for guard cells)
• Describe the shape of the epidermal cells.
• Draw an epidermal region containing guard cells and label the guard cells and the stoma.
• What is the function of epidermal cells and guard cells?

⇒9 – Trichomes –
• View sunflower leaf (and other various specimens) under a microscope and sketch the trichomes that project
from the epidermis.
• What functions do trichomes serve? How do their shapes facilitate these functions?

Root hairs – to be studied next week. Root hairs and trichomes result from related genetic pathways.
Ground Tissues
• List the basic cell types that make up ground tissue.

⇒11-12 – Parenchyma
• Prepare thin sections of Helianthus (sunflower) stem in both longitudinal and cross section for a wet mount
slide. The sunflower has been placed in a stain to help you observe the 3-dimensional structure of these cells.
• Draw parenchyma cells in both longitudinal and cross-sectional views.
• What function do these cells serve? Are these cells living or dead at functional maturity?

⇒13-14 -- Collenchyma
• Prepare a thin cross section and wet mount slide celery.
• Sketch parenchyma cells and collenchyma cells.
• How are collenchyma cells different from parenchyma cells? How are they similar?
• Are these cells living or dead at functional maturity?
• What other tissue types can you see in this specimen? How do they differ from ground tissue in structure and
function?

⇒15 – Sclerenchyma
• What are the 2 types of sclerenchyma cells?
• Tease a section of sisal rope or burlap apart and cut a small sample to make a wet mount slide
• Add some phloroglucinol and wait a minute or two, then view the slide under a microscope. Sketch the fibers
in your lab manual. From what are these fibers made? Are these cells living or dead at functional maturity?
⇒16 – Sclerenchyma fibers in cross-section. We'll use Tilia (linden or basswood), not grape stem.
• Identify a fiber and make a sketch of its appearance in cross-section.
• What is the function of these sclerenchyma cells?
• Where did you observe a second type of sclerenchyma cell today? How do sclerids differ from fibers?

Vascular Tissue
• What are the two functionally distinct tissue types that make up vascular tissues?

⇒17 – Xylem
• Look at a prepared slide of pine stem secondary xylem. Sketch the xylem cells that are present, and label their
identifying characteristics.
• What kind(s) of water conducting cells can you identify in this slide?

⇒18 – Xylem
• Examine the prepared slide of a pumpkin stem macerate and locate xylem vessels. Sketch a vessel element,
and identify its distinguishing characters.
• Examine tracheids in the prepared slide of pine stem. Are any vessel elements present?
• What are the differences between vessel elements and tracheids?
• What is the function of vessel elements and tracheids? Are these cells alive or dead at functional maturity?

⇒19 – Xylem (xylem cells, vessel elements)


• Prepare a wet mount of sunflower stem tissue.
• Draw a vascular bundle and label the xylem and the phloem.

⇒20 – Phloem
• What cell types would you find in the phloem? Use a prepared slide showing a longitudinal section of a
pumpkin stem to identify sieve tube members, sieve plates, and companion cells. What are the functions of
these cells? Are they living or dead at functional maturity?

⇒21 – Pumpkin stem cross section (cell types) – see if you can identify all the tissues and cells we have studied in
this section. Look for sieve plates, and sketch one when you find it.

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