LAB 1THE MICROSCOPE AND THE

CELLBY 102

Zach Nolen

A few introductions I’m a Master’s student in the Thacker lab

Studying sponge/cyanobacteria relationships

Teaching Portfolio

Now about you Fill out your notecard with the following:

Name (you wish to be called) Major Reason taking class (be honest) 1 thing your looking forward to in this class 1 thing your not looking forward to in this

class What’s your favorite food

Tips for Success Read ahead Do study guides Work on lab manual throughout Keep good notes Ask questions Study with others

Microscope Introduction Microscopes allow us to view very small

objects There are three main types of

microscopes: compound light, dissecting, and electron microscopes.

For this class, we will be working with compound light microscopes.

Compound Light Microscopes

Dissecting Microscopes

Electron Microscopes

Pollen

Spider

Diatoms

Exercise A: Use and Care of Microscope

Always carry scope with one hand on the arm and the other under the base.

Always clean scope when you are done. Always start on the low objective (red),

then work your way up in magnification. Never use the coarse adjustment knob

when using an objective higher than red. If there are any issues with your scope,

please let me know immediately.

Parts of the Microscope

Exercise B: Functions of the Microscope

Microscopes are very useful tools for biologists.

Not only can they be used to magnify things, they can also be used to measure things.

To calculate the total magnification of your scope, you simply multiply the ocular magnification x objective magnification

Take a few minutes to complete the chart in your lab manual.

Exercise C: Calibration For this exercise, we will be using the

letter “e” slides. You will place the slide on the microscope

with the “e” in the correct orientation, then view it through the microscope to observe how the scope transposes images.

Exercise D: Human Epithelial Cells

In this exercise, you will be preparing a wet mount of your own cheek cells.

Make sure that you are using a blank slide. We will be doing a slightly different procedure than

listed in the book. After you have prepared your slide, use your

microscope to find a cell on the red objective and let me check it.

After I check it, you will need to use the highest objective (blue) to find the cells for your drawing.

After you have finished your drawing, you can wash your slide off in the sink. You will be using the same slide for other exercises.

Exercise E: Plant Cells For this exercise, you will be

preparing a wet mount of an Elodea leaf to observe plant cells. Elodea is a freshwater plant that is typically found in ponds.

Follow procedure in the book for slide prep. You will draw this using the blue objective After you finish your drawing, you will want

to add a few drops of NaCl to the leaf and observe plasmolysis.

Exercise G: Demonstration of Osmosis

This exercise is demo that I will do to show the process of osmosis.

What is osmosis? Osmosis is simply the movement of water

molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Exercise H: Animal and Plant Cell Structures

This exercise is just a review of the various parts of plant and animal cells as well as their functions.

Figures 1.8 and 1.9 in your manual have labeled images of both.

You should be able to identify the different parts and also be able to give their function.

Animal Cell

Plant Cell

Review Questions

1. What are the 3 types of microscopes? 2. Which type will we use in lab?3. What are 3 differences between animal

and plant cells?4. What is osmosis?5. What is the purpose of mitochondria in the

cell?

Before you leave lab! Make sure you properly store your

microscope Clean up your work station Wipe down your station Turn in your microscope drawings

Before next lab! Read Lab exercise 2: Nutrition and the

Cell Do the online prelab Read the introduction in your manual

(viii-xi) Complete all questions in Lab 1 exercises

that we covered, if not already done so