Observing Cell Cycle in Onion Cells

Observing Cell Cycle in Animal and Plant Cells

For this culminating activity you will be using the microscope to view cells that were rapidly growing. You will find cells in various stages and phases of the cell cycle and will carefully draw each stage and correctly label your diagrams. Finally you will calculate the portion of cells that were captured in each phase. The activity will show that you have mastered the skills of drawing biological diagrams, identifying the stage and phases of cell cycle and communicating your results in a lab report.

The rubric on the back of this page outlines the expectations of the assignment. Hand in this rubric with your report. Use the checklist and do a self evaluation before you hand it in.

This is due______.

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Questions for the lab:

1. Suggest why onion root tips were chosen as examples in this activity. (Why not the leaves?)

2. How do actively dividing cells look different from cells that divide less often?

3. Using the pictures of whitefish embryo cells on page 47 in the text book, compare the appearance of the animals cells with that of the plant cells during cell division.

4. Using the pictures of whitefish embryo cells on page 47 in the text book, identify the phase for each picture.

5. Which phases were the most difficult to distinguish between? Why?

6. Would you expect the whitefish embryo cells to continue to divide indefinitely? Explain.

7. What would happen if two daughter cells of an organism did not have identical chromosomes after division?

Part of Lab / Self check Level: / Level One / Level Two / Level Three / Level Four
□ Purpose
□ Materials / Unclear, vague, not a sentence statement
Materials missing and unorganized / Somewhat clear, or not in a sentence.
Most materials present or not in a bulleted list / Main idea of the lab is evident
All materials present, listed. / Clear, one sentence statement.
All materials present in a bulleted list
Observations
□ Diagrams of onion root tip:
□ Data
□ Calculations (to determine the portion of cells in each stage and phase) / Diagrams are of poor quality or many are missing. Labels and identification are not accurate.
Data is present but not organized
Calculations attempted but are of poor design or unfair. Difficult to follow. / Most diagrams are present or are of moderate quality. Labels and identification missing
Data is present with an attempt at organization
Calculations are present. Moderate design. Somewhat easy to follow / All phases and diagrams are present. Drawings are mostly accurate and are of good quality.
Data is somewhat organized
Adequate design of calculations. Mainly easy to follow / All phases and stages diagrams are present, clearly identified, and labeled. Drawings are accurate and are of high quality (see class note on biological drawings)
Data is organized in a table
Accurate and fair design of calculations. Easy to follow.
□ Conclusions (chart/graph) / Poor mode to summarize results / Somewhat effective mode to summarize / Effective mode to summarize results / Highly effective mode to summarize results
□ Questions / Many incorrect answers or not communicated in sentences / Some incorrect answers or not communicated in full sentences / Clearly and correctly communicated in sentence structure. / Clearly, insightfully and correctly communicated in complete and full sentences
□ Communication / Poor / somewhat / mostly / Overall report is typed, titles underlined and/or in bold, full sentences, grammatically correct, no spelling errors

Part of Lab / Self check Level: / Level One / Level Two / Level Three / Level Four
□ Purpose
□ Materials / Unclear, vague, not a sentence statement
Materials missing and unorganized / Somewhat clear, or not in a sentence.
Most materials present or not in a bulleted list / Main idea of the lab is evident
All materials present, listed. / Clear, one sentence statement.
All materials present in a bulleted list
Observations
□ Diagrams of onion root tip:
□ Data
□ Calculations (to determine the portion of cells in each stage and phase) / Diagrams are of poor quality or many are missing. Labels and identification are not accurate.
Data is present but not organized
Calculations attempted but are of poor design or unfair. Difficult to follow. / Most diagrams are present or are of moderate quality. Labels and identification missing
Data is present with an attempt at organization
Calculations are present. Moderate design. Somewhat easy to follow / All phases and diagrams are present. Drawings are mostly accurate and are of good quality.
Data is somewhat organized
Adequate design of calculations. Mainly easy to follow / All phases and stages diagrams are present, clearly identified, and labeled. Drawings are accurate and are of high quality (see class note on biological drawings)
Data is organized in a table
Accurate and fair design of calculations. Easy to follow.
□ Conclusions (chart/graph) / Poor mode to summarize results / Somewhat effective mode to summarize / Effective mode to summarize results / Highly effective mode to summarize results
□ Questions / Many incorrect answers or not communicated in sentences / Some incorrect answers or not communicated in full sentences / Clearly and correctly communicated in sentence structure. / Clearly, insightfully and correctly communicated in complete and full sentences
□ Communication / Poor / somewhat / mostly / Overall report is typed, titles underlined and/or in bold, full sentences, grammatically correct, no spelling errors

10.