Onion peel cell experiment. (Procedure in description box)

AIM
To prepare stained temporary mount of onion peel cells and to record observations and draw labelled diagrams.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Onion, plain slides, coverslip, watch glass, needles, forceps, brush, blade, safranin, blotting paper, glycerine and compound microscope.

THEORY
Onion is a multicellular plant. Like other plant cells, the cell of onion peel consists of a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, a large vacuole and a nucleus. The nucleus lies at the periphery of cytoplasm and vacuole is located in the centre. Presence of large vacuoles and cell wall confirms that cells of onion peel are plant cells.

PROCEDURE

Take a piece of onion and bend it to remove the transparent membranous structure called onion epidermal peel. With help of forcep remove the peel from its inner side.
Place the peel in water in a watch glass.
Add a few drops of stain safranin, to the watch glass containing the peel for staining.
Now, wash the leaf peel with water and transfer it on to a clean slide with the help of brush.
Remove extra water from the slide surrounding the peel with the help of blotting paper.
To this slide, add a drop of glycerine over the peel and place the coverslip in a manner to avoid entry of air bubbles.
Soak away the extra glycerine with blotting paper.
Examine slide under the microscope.

OBSERVATIONS

A large number of rectangular cells with distinct cell wall can be observed.
Cytoplasm is seen as thin layer of deep coloured substance on inner surface of cell wall.
A big central vacuole is present in the cell.
A deeply stained round body called nucleus is seen in each cell.

RESULT

The epidermal peel of onion comprises of rectangular shaped cells. Each cell comprises of a nucleus, a central vacuole, thin layer of cytoplasm and cell wall.
As cell walls and large prominent vacuole are present in each cell, the cells placed under observation are plant cells