1) How are plants and animals similar in structure? How are they different?
Plants and animals are similar because they both show the presence of cytoplasm, plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum (smooth and rough), mitochondria, vacuole, mitochondria, golgi apparatus, peroxisomes, microtubules/ microfilaments, nucleus, and flagella (present in some cells). They are different because Plant cells have centrioles or intermediate filaments. They also have a more square shape and contain chloroplasts. This allows plant cells produce their own food or energy. Animal cells must obtain food from a source outside of the body. Plants have a cell wall that is made up of fibrils of cellulose. Plants have only one big vacuole, but animals have many small vacuoles. Plants also contain plastids while it is absent in animal cells. Animals have lysosomes, while plants don’t.
2) What was the purpose of adding the iodine solution to the onion cells? …show more content…
If it is present, it turns from brown to a black-blue. The iodine simply dyes the cell so that you can see it under a microscope. So by adding iodine to the onion cells, I’m able to see it under the microscope clearly. This enhances the visibility of the onion cells. Many cells, including those of onions are often transparent. When unstained cells are viewed under a microscope, the light passes directly through the cells’ various structures revealing little to no detail. By contrast, when iodine or other dyes are used, the cell absorbs the dye into its various organelles and structures, which blocks the light and allows the observer’s eye to detect the details of the