This lab was conducted for the purpose of answering any last questions we, as a group, had about cells. We asked our question, whether different types of dyes affected specific cells in different ways, because we had only used one dye on each cell in the past, and we hadn’t got to see the true difference that each individual dye had on each cell. We hypothesized that if we dyed a specific type of cell different colors then we would see different things because there would be a different chemical reaction. We believed that this would be true because in previous labs, we have seen that certain types of dye have done more visually for specific cells than other dyes. To figure out the answer to this question, we designed a procedure involving three …show more content…
Many things that we noticed in the lab helped us answer this question. For example, when we dyed the onion sliver with iodine, many unseeable figures became visible. We noticed nuclei in each cell, and saw each cell’s wall more clearly. This wasn’t true, however, when we used the methylene blue dye, as no nuclei was visible, and the structure of the cells was less clear. Additionally, when we used the phenol red dye, we didn’t see any structure of cells whatsoever. All we saw was a blob of crooked lines and scribbles. There was no color visible either. Also, the methylene blue dye made the cells darker, making them less clearly visible, since plant cells are tightly packed together, in comparison to animal cells. In all, structure of cells and organelles became more visible when we used the iodine dye, in comparison to the others. This lab showed me that even though they may not always be visible, eukaryotic, or complex cells have membrane bound organelles and a nucleus. This proved the principle that eukaryotic cells, in comparison to prokaryotic cells, have a nucleus. To summarize, different dyes affect specific cells in different ways, and that is proven by the several points …show more content…
We had trouble creating the slides, in regards to dyeing the onion slivers and using the droppers well. We also had a difficult time managing time, as we didn’t realize how little time we actually had. If we were to do this experiment again, we could’ve used the fact that we had a group of four more to our advantage, to prepare and conduct the lab a lot quicker, being able to do more than one thing at once. This lab answered one of my biggest questions about cells, but also created more questions. I would like to study more about the chemical reaction part of dyeing cells, and seeing how dyeing a cell affects its organelles and quality. My question would ask in what ways dyeing a cell affects the cell. In conclusion, this lab taught me many things about cells and how their appearance is changed when they are