“THE OBSERVATION OF ONION CELL”

LABORATORY REPORT

PANGANTUCAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Poblacion Pangantucan, Bukidnon

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)

GENERAL BIOLOGY

By:

Sheena Mae O. Carcosia

September 2023
Introduction:

The history of the microscope dates to the 13th century when glass was ground to use

for spectacles and magnifying glasses, late in the 16th century, several Dutch lens makers

designed devices that magnified objects, but it was not until 1609 that Galileo Galilei

perfected the first device known as a microscope (Hayley Anderson, 2010). Allium cepa or

also known as onions is one of the most famous spices that people use in cooking mostly

every day, along with garlic, leeks, chives, and shallots that belong to the genus Allium, they

are valued due to their characteristic smell caused by alkyl sulfides that makes the dishes

smell delectable. Many may hate onions for it makes you cry when you dice it, and this is

because when certain (lachrymator) compounds are released, this causes the nerves around

the eyes (lacrimal glands) to become irritated (Customs Training Institute, 2003). In our

biology class, we decided to examine a thin layer of membrane of an onion since onions are

easier to examine for they have a low starch content, which allows the DNA to be seen

clearly. We placed the onion under a microscope so that we will be able to observe and

witness its cells.

Materials:

1 bulb of Onion (peel a thin layer only)

Cutter

Microscope

Microscope lens 10x and 15x

Glass microscope slides

Tissues

Procedure:

1. Prepare the materials that are need for the experiment.

2. Take a thin layer of onion.

3. Put the thin skin layer of onion on the slide.

4. Make sure that the microscope has enough light.

5. Examine the onion first with the scanner (10x4 Lens) then take a picture of the cells.

6. Do the 5th step but replace it with the 10x10 and 10x40 Lens.

7. Examine the onion first with the scanner (15x4 Lens) then take a picture of the cells.

8. Do the 5th step but replace it with the 15x10 and 15x40 Lens.

9. Write the all the data and the sequence of the examination, so that you will be able to

make your laboratory report easier.

 10 x 4= 40x magnification 10 x 10= 100x magnification 10 x 40= 400x magnification

The microscope revealed many cells in the thin layer of membrane of an onion.

INTERPRETATION

In examining the onion cell, we used different microscope lens to look at it. When

observing the onion cell, we noticed that the cells of an onion looked like a rectangular net,

and the small dots (the nuclei) can be seen if you look at it carefully. Our first magnification

was a total of 40x magnification, since this magnification is used as a scanner, there were

about hundreds of rows of rectangular like cells. Approximately, as we change the

magnification to a higher total, the numbers of cells seen were narrowed and they were a bit

more bigger than the 40x total Magnification.

In a 10x microscope, combining with a 10x objective lens, the magnification would

be 100x,which means that it has a bigger magnification than the 40x magnification. At this

magnification, the onion cell will appear much larger and more detailed, which means it’s a

closer examination of its structures and components. The cellular structures, such as the cell

wall, cell membrane, nucleus, and possibly other organelles, might be visible and can be

distinguished from each other. It had a resemblance on the 40x magnification, only that 100x
is a bit closer to the cell, there were still a brick or net like structures in the cell, while the

dots became a bit bigger than in the scanner.

When we viewed the onion cell in a total of 400x magnification it provided significant

detail and clarity, making it suitable for in-depth cellular analysis, scientific research, and

education purposes. It allowed us to investigate, we noticed that the nuclei of the cells looked

clearer and larger, this time we were able to study the onion cell more clearly than our first

magnification. We were able to see the nucleus, the cytoplasm, and the cell wall. The

Cytoplasm which is the jelly like fluid inside the cell was evident. Aside from the actual cells,

we were able to see air bubbles within the onion cell slide.
 15 x 4= 60x magnification 15 x 10= 150x magnification 15 x 40= 600x magnification

The microscope revealed many cells in the thin layer of membrane of an onion. (Clearer)

Interpretation

In the first magnification it was a 60x magnification since we used a 15x lens, this

means that the image of the cell is enlarged 60 times compared to what one would see with

the naked eye. The result resembled a bit in the 100x magnification in the 10x lens. There

were medium sized net or brick like shaped cell. Its color is a mixture of the color violet and

pink, there were some sides that had a darker shade or a lighter shade, depending on what

part is a bit thicker in the strip of the onion. To obtain the most accurate and detailed

information from an onion cell, it may be necessary to use higher magnifications to enhance

visibility.

In the second magnification upon using the 15x lens, we had a total of 150x

magnification. We noticed that instead of having a violet-pink like background it had a white-

pink background, and the only bright colors were the outline of the brick like structure of the

cell, although there are still some parts that the colors pink and violet were still evident, but it

was not as obvious as the 60x magnification. At this magnification, other cellular
components, such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, or vacuoles, may become more visible,

allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of cellular processes and structures. However,

the level of detail and clarity will still depend on the quality of the microscope and the

preparation techniques used for the onion cell slide, like staining or fixing.

Upon arriving in our last magnification, which is the total of 600x magnification, we

encountered a bit of problem, we had a hard time upon seeing the cell because we had to

adjust both the arm and the light of the microscope so that we would be able to view the cell.

Later, as we viewed the cell it was so much bigger, and we can really see the nucleus and the

cytoplasm of the cell. As it was super big, the colors were back, and it had a very strong pink-

violet color.
 Conclusion:

In this laboratory activity that’s about the onion cell, we concluded that the thin layer

of onion peel is made up of many nets or brick like shaped cells. As we viewed the onion cell

we could really say that plant cells indeed contain a nucleus, a central vacuole, and a thin

layer of cytoplasm, all of this for a cell. Since each cell in our observation has a cell wall and

a large prominent vacuole, the cell that was under observation can then be concluded as a

plant cell. Doing this activity is not as easy as you thought it is. Peeling the right thickness of

an onion is a bit of a challenge, especially if you don’t have the right things to use.

Meanwhile upon using the microscope, it was a bit of a challenge since we must find a great

source of light so that we will be able to see the onion cell, since the microscope was not the

high-tech version. It was a bit tricky when it comes to adjusting the lenses and the right

magnification, since you had to adjust the coarse focus and the fine focus to clearly view the

onion cell, but all in all it was a fun activity to do and a great experience to remember.