Bio 17.

1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

MODULE/ ACTIVITY 6 SHEETS

Observing Plants, Going Within:
The Plant Cell
MOTIVATION
Cell is the fundamental unit in the study of biology. It is commonly referred as the basic structural
and functional unit of life. The study of the structure and function of cells is called Cytology. Cell is the
smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. Plant
cells are eukaryotic and unique in certain ways. Many of which contain chloroplasts capable of
photosynthesis, whereas animal and fungal cells do not.

Thus, it is very important that we should be very familiar with its different parts and their functions.
By the end of this activity, we should know by heart the different parts of the cell and their function or
functions. So let’s dig in!

ACTIVITY
MATERIALS (if this would be face to face)

Compound microscope Tradescantia spathacea leaf

Sharp blades and water color brush Hydrilla verticillata (an aquatic plant)
glass slides and cover slips Allium cepa (onion)
I2KI stain Colocasia esculenta (gabi) petiole
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)
Solanum tuberosum (potato)
Medinilla sp.
PROCEDURES (if this would be face to face)

A. Plant Cellular Structures

1. The Cell wall – this is a non-living component of a plant cell which is absent in animal cells.
Due to its rigidity, the cell wall dictates cell size, shape and integrity.
 Strip the inner epidermis of an onion bulb scale and mount it on a glass slide with a
drop of I2KI. Examine under LPO and observe the cell wall which appears as a discrete
brown-stained boundary around each cell. Switch to HPO and look for depressions on
the wall. These are termed pits.
 At the region of union of primary wall of adjacent cells is the middle lamella. It is
basically made up of calcium pectate.
 You will observe this in Figure 1. Identify the cell wall, the pits, middle lamella and
plasmodesmata in the figure, whichever is applicable. Give their functions.
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

2. The Cytoplasm – the protoplast is the content of the cell within the cell wall except the nucleus.
This is where we found the different organelles.
a. Plastid
i. Chloroplast
 Mount one Hydrilla leaf, which has been exposed to light. Observe the occurrence of
protoplasmic streaming especially the green bodies. This is cyclosis.
 What organelle is very abundant in Hydrilla? What pigment is present in such
organelles? What are their functions?
 You will observe this in Figure 2. Identify the chloroplast in the figure. Give its
function

ii. Chromoplasts
 Prepare the fresh (paradermal) section of petals of Hibiscus or ripe fruit of Solanum
lycopersicum. What pigment is dominant in the cells? You will observe this in Figure
3. Identify the chromoplast in the figure. Give its function

iii. Leucoplasts
 Prepare the fresh (x-section) section of a tuber of Solanum tuberosum. What pigment
is dominant in the cells? You will observe this in Figure 4. Identify the leucoplast in
the figure. Give its function

b. Vacuole – separated from the cytoplasm by tonoplast and containing complex water
solution, the cell sap
 Strip the lower epidermis of the leaf of Tradescantia spathacea and mount it in water.
Observe carefully for the vacuole, which contains the pigmented cell sap. You will
observe this in Figure 5. Identify the vacuole in the figure. Give its function
 Vacuole also contains ergastic substances such as starch grains, protein bodies, fat
and oils, tanning, crystals and fluids. Prepare a fresh section of tuber of Solanum
tuberosum. Mount in diluted I2KI. Observe the presence of starch grains. You will
observe this in Figure 6. Identify the starch grains in the figure. Give its function
 Cut a series of cross sections of the petiole of gabi. Put it on a petri dish with water.
Mount the specimen and look for elongated, slender and pointed structures. These
are called raphides. You will observe this in Figure 7. Identify the raphides in the
figure. Give its function.

3. The nucleus
 Take a thin layer from the thin inner surface of the fleshy scale of an onion. Mount the
specimen and observe under LPO and HPO. You can easily detect the nucleus in this.
 Stain the prepared specimen with I2KI and wait for 1-2 minutes. The nucleus and
nucleolus can be easily observed in this. You will observe this in Figure 8. Identify
the nucleus and nucleolus in the figure. Give their functions.

B. Cell Types – the tissue system in the plant body consists of 3 types of cells namely parenchyma,
collenchyma and sclerenchyma
 Parenchyma - the simplest type of cell but performs variety of function. Observe the
parenchyma in x-section of Tradescantia spathacea’s leaf. What is its function?
Observe the parenchyma in the x-section of Plectranthus scutellarioides young stem.
What is its function? You will observe this in Figure 9 and 10. Identify the
parenchyma in the figure. Give their functions.
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

 Collenchyma – mechanical tissue composed of unevenly thickened-walled cells.

Observe this in cross-section of Ixora leaf midrib. You will observe this in Figure 11.
Identify the collenchyma in the figure. Give its function.
 Sclerenchyma – dead cells at maturity. Observe this in cross-section of Coriaria
japonica stem. This have much thickened cell wall and usually band together forming
the structured called sclerenchyma cap. You will observe this in Figure 12. Identify
the sclerenchyma cap in the figure. Give its function.
 Get a cross section of the on the central cells in the pith of Medinilla old stem. You will
observe cells that do not have liquid cytoplasm, instead it is solid. These are called
stone cells. You will observe this in Figure 13. Identify the stone cells in the
figure. Give its function.
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

MODULE/ ACTIVITY 6 SHEETS

Name: ______________________________________
Current Address: ______________________________

A. The Plant Cell

Cell wall
Labels:

Function:
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________

Figure 1
Plastid
Figure 2 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Figure 3 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

Figure 4 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Vacuole
Figure 5 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Figure 6 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Figure 7 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

Nucleus
Figure 8 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

MODULE/ ACTIVITY 6 SHEETS

B. Plant Cell Types

Parenchyma
Figure 9 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Figure 10 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

Collenchyma
Figure 11 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Sclerenchyma
Figure 12 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________

Figure 13 Labels:

Function:
________________
________________
Bio 17.1 Botany BS Bio I-A Benguet State University

EVALUATION
1. Differentiate a plant cell from an animal cell.
Basis Plant Cell Animal Cell

2. Give the cell organelle associated with each of the following functions:
a. Photosynthesis _____________________________
b. Movement of chromosomes during cell division _____________________________
c. Protein synthesis _____________________________
d. Tonicity of the cell _____________________________
e. Respiration _____________________________
f. Transport of Materials within the cell _____________________________
g. Transport of materials into or out the cell _____________________________

3. Draw and label the parts of a plant cell

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