Onion Cell Mitosis

Preparation of Onion Roots:

1. Place an onion in a tile.

2. Using a sharp blade/ scalpel, carefully snip the dry roots of onion.
3. Place the bulbs in a beaker containing water to grow the root tips.
4. It may take about 4-6 days for the new roots to grow and appear.

Preparation of Onion Root Mitosis Slides

1. Trim the tip of each root to 1 cm; use only the tapered end of the root tip.
2. Use forceps to place 2-3 root tips (use only the 1 cm tips) on a dish.
3. Using a clean, graduated pipet, add 2-3 drops of 1M hydrochloric acid to cover the root tips.
4. Allow the root tip to soak in the acid for 4 minutes.
5. After 4 minutes, use a paper towel and carefully blot away excess hydrochloric acid from the
dish. Caution: Avoid contact of the acid with the skin.
6. Using clean, graduated pipet, add 2-3 drops of distilled water to the root tips.
7. Use paper towel to blot away excess water.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7.
9. Then, add 2-3 drops of methylene blue stain in your root tips. Caution: This is a permanent stain.
10. Allow the root tips to soak in the stain for 3 minutes.
11. Use paper towel to blot away excess methylene blue stain.
12. Add 1 drop of distilled water to the root tips.
13. Use forceps to move one root tip to a clean microscope slide.
14. Place a cover slip on the root tissue. Using the eraser end of a pencil, gently apply pressure on the
coverslip to squash the root tissue.
15. Apply an even downward pressure on the root tips and cover slip but not so hard as to break the
cover slip. Do not twist or grind the cover slip.

Microscope Time

16. Using low magnification on the microscope, focus on the root cells. Switch to the high power
objective as necessary to easily visualize the inside of the onion root cells.
17. Study all of the squashed tissue to locate cells in each stage of the cell cycle. Note: All stages of
mitosis may not be present within a single field view.
18. Repeat steps 14-17 for the remaining root tips.
Name: Score:
Year and Section: Date:

Laboratory Activity 1
Chromosome Basis of Heredity: Cell Division

I. Make a poster showing the different stages of mitosis in onion root tips.
(Note: Images from the actual activity in the laboratory will be used for this poster).
II. Draw and make a diagram of the meiosis process.
 Spermatogenesis Oogenesis

III. Make a diagram of oogenesis and spermatogenesis.

IV.Compare and contrast the two process.

Questions to Answer
1. What are the major difference between mitosis and meiosis?
2. What do you think is the purpose of hydrochloric acid in this experiment?
3. How does meiosis bring about variation in species of organisms?