Lab 1 - Introduction to Tissue and Cell Types

Lab 1 Introduction

Materials for planting the fern spores.

The petri dishes are collected.

A pot of sunflower is planted for every pair of students.

Four seeds for each pot.

Each student plants a scarlet runner (bean) and take it home.

Bush bean plant demo.

Microscope Set Up

Microscope set-up exercise using fern spores.

Fern spores under x10 objectives.

Fern spores under x40 objectives.

Introduction to Plant Tissue Systems

Solutions used for this lab: Toluidine blue, water and IKI.

Stain	Acts on	Effect
IKI	Starch grains	Starch turns purple to purplish black
Toluidine blue	Cytoplasm Lignified cell walls (tracheids and vessels in the xylem; sclerenchyma)	Cytoplasm turns blue Lignin becomes greenish-blue to baby-blue
Pholoroglucinol	Lignified cell walls	Lignin turns red or pinkish

Corn stems are used.

Cross section of the stem. (x10)

Another cross section of the stem. (x10)

Cross section of the stem stained with Toluidine blue.Cellulose walls turn purple. (x10)

Longitudinal section of the stem stained with Toluidine blue, showing the node where the leaf branches. (x4.5)

Longitudinal section of the stem stained Toluidine blue. Cellulose walls turn purple. Lignified cell walls turns greenish blue to baby-blue. (x10)

Leaf and stem separate. (x10)

Sliver of sweet potato is used.

Section of sweet potato. (x10)

Section of sweet potato, stained with IKI. Starch turn purplish-black.