GROUP #6

LABORATORY
REPORT
(ANIMAL CELL AND PLANT CELL)

SUBMITTED BY:
RASGO, MARAYAH
RENON, KYM ARVIN
ROCIO, GERALDINE JOY
SALVADOR, G-ANNE DOMINIQUE
SANTOS, MA. REGINA

BS PSYCHOLOGY 2-1

SUBMITTED TO:
PROF. JACQUELINE TYCHUACO
 LAB ACTIVITY #1.2

Onion and Human Cheek Cells

Abstract:
Before fully understanding the human anatomy and physiology, one must first
determine its basic unit which is the cell. Two eukaryotic cells are examined in the
experiment, an animal cell specifically the human cheek cell and the other is a plant cell in
the form of an onion cell. Two samples of the human cheek cell were obtained in the
experiment. The human cheek cell is treated with methylene blue for better visualization.
The main purpose of the experiment is to observe and differentiate the human cheek cell
from the onion cell by the basis of its appearance, size, and structure. The results obtained
from the laboratory activity indicates that the size of the onion cell is larger compared to the
human cheek cells. The human cheek cells are irregular in shape and stand in larger
distances. The onion cell is rectangular, and is uniform with each other. The onion cell has
a cell wall, a part of the cell that the human cheek cell lacks.In conclusion, the difference in
the structure and size of the two cells is due to the unique parts of each cell.

Key words: onion cell, human cheek cell, plant cell, animal cell, eukaryotes.

Introduction:
Robert Hooke was the first to discover the cells in 1665. His observation of the
structure of the bark of a cork tree led him to see the cells, the structure in which the bark of
the cork tree is made. He thought that the object that he saw in the microscope is similar to
a cellula (a small rooms which monks inhabited). What he actually saw under the
microscope were only dead cell walls of the cork. The first man to actually see a live cell
was Anton van Leeuwenhoek who described the algae Spirogyra in 1674.

By the early part of 19th century, it was accepted that all living things are made up of
cells. Cells are the smallest form of life; the functional and structural units of all living things.
Knowing the cell itself is essential for understanding the mechanisms of the human body.To
know more about cells, in a topical sense, one must first understand the structure of cells
through classifying different types of it, such as plant cell and animal cell.

The human cheek cell and the onion cell are among the accessible cells to observe
partly because it is easy to obtain. The purpose of the laboratory activity is to observed and
differentiate the human cheek cell and onion cell by the basis of their appearance, size and
their structure. The result of the experiment will yield to a better understanding about the
basic units that govern life.

Discussion:
Cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Although cells may appear differently,
they resemble each other because they share common structures. For the laboratory
activity, a compound microscope was used to observed the cheek cell and onion cell using
the LPO or the low power objective that gives a wider field of view in examining small
specimens. To obtain the cheek cell, the inside lining of the mouth was gently scrape using
a toothpick. On the other hand, the outermost and thinnest layer of the onion was peeled to
be put on the microscopic glass slide to be examined.

The cells in the slides were gently observed and the following observations were
made using the microscope: the plant cell (onion cell) is comparably bigger in size (146.74
mm) than the human cheek cells with the size ranging from 40.02 mm to 46.69 mm (see
table 1). There is also a noticeable difference between the appearance of each cell. The
human cheek cell is irregular and is somewhat round in shape (see figure 2) while the plant
cell (onion cell) has a brick-like appearance with a more regular pattern (see figure 1). The
human cheek cells are far apart in contrast to the onion cells which are interlocked with
each other. Only a few human cheek cells appeared in the microscope, another
observation that stands the opposite from the onion cells in which are plenty in number.
These differences can be attributed to the cells having different structures. The onion cell
has a cell wall that provides the structure and size of the cell. The human cheek cell does
not have a cell wall, it only has a cell membrane that serves as a semi-permeable barrier.

Materials and Methods:

Onion Cell
Materials:
 Microscope
 Glass microscopic slides
 Onion
Methods:
1. Get a single layer of epidermal cells from the inner side of onion (layer should be thin for
easier observation).
2. Lay it at the center of the microscopic slide.
3. Place the slide on the microscope stage and observe.
4. Adjust focus for clearer observation.

Cheek Cell
Materials:
 Microscope
 Glass microscopic slides
 Plastic cover slips
 Paper towel or tissue
 Methylene blue solution
 Plastic pipette or dropper
 Sterile, individually packed cotton swabs (or toothpick)
 Distilled water
Methods:
1. Take a clean cotton swab/toothpick and gently scrape the inside of the mouth.
2. Place a drop of water on a clean glass slide.
3. Smear the cotton swab/toothpick in the center of the microscope slide for 2 to 3 seconds.
4. Place a cover slip on top.
5. Add a drop of *methylene blue solution. Concentrated methylene blue is toxic when
ingested. It is advisable to wear gloves while handling the solution.
6. Remove any excess solution by allowing a paper towel to touch one side of the cover
slip.
7. Place the slide on the microscope, with 4x or 10x objective in position and find a cell.
Then view at higher magnification.

*The methylene blue solution serves as a stain for the cell. Staining the sample is of
importance as this technique is used to visualize and have a clearer view of the cell
structure. The parts of the cell that can absorb stains or dyes are referred to as chromatic.
Differentiation of the cell structures is easier when stains are used. The absence of the
stain makes the cell look transparent, making it harder to classify its parts. Although the
entire cell appears light blue in color, the nucleus at the central part of the cell appears to
be darker. The explanation for this is that when a drop of methylene blue is introduced, the
nucleus is stained making it stand out and to be clearly seen under the microscope.
Results:

This section shows the microscopic view of the human cheek cell and the onion cell as well
as the comparison between their sizes.

Figure 1 shows the onion (plant) cell view from low power objective (LPO) of the compound microscope.

Figure 2 shows the view of the human cheek cell of student A (figure on the left) and student B (figure on the
right) from the low power objective (LPO) of the compound microscope.
 Table of Measurements

Size of the Cell

Onion Cell 146.74 mm

Cheek Cell (Student A) 46.69 mm

Cheek Cell (Student B) 40.02 mm

Table 1 shows the measurement of the human cheek cell of Student A and Student B as well as the plant cell.

Animal cell = 40.02 mm - 46.69 mm

Onion cell= 146.74 mm

Table of Comparison

Human Cheek Cell Onion Cell

Human cheek cell is an animal cell Onion cell is a plant cell

Irregular and somewhat round in shape Have regular patterns, brick-like in

appearance

Have large distances from other human cheek The cells are interlocked with each other,
cells forming a rigid pattern

Has a cell membrane Have a cell wall, contributing to its size

Few can be seen in the microscope Plenty can be seen in the microscope

Table 2 shows the comparison between the human cheek cell and onion cell.