Cells and Processes

  • Microscope: Using your microscope 01
  • Microscope: Using your microscope 02
  • Microscope: Easy cells
  • Diffusion in potatoes
  • Osmosis: Plant osmosis
  • Osmosis: potato

Microscope: Using your microscope 01

Microscope 01 (Set up 01):

Know your microscope. The basics are pretty common but yours might have a unique aspect. Students need very specific instructions for correct use!

Microscope 02 (Set up 02):

SOP (standard operating procedure). A problem solving approach to make sure your students know how set up their microscope.

Microscope 03 (Set up 03):

Different eyepieces; eyepiece graticules.

Microscope: Using your microscope 02

Microscope 04 (Measuring 01):

Using a ruler to obtain very simple ideas of scale. Very crudely this eyepiece diameter is 4mm at x40 magnification then 2mm x 100.

Microscope 05 (Measuring 02):

Stage and Eyepiece graticules part 1

Microscope 06 (Measuring 03):

Trying to calibrate the eyepiece graticule In this case 10 eyepiece units (EPU) = 1mm (between 7 and 8 mm) Appreciating that the EPU will change as you alter the objective stage lens magnification.

Microscope: Easy cells

Microscope 07 (Easy Cells):

Introduction to ‘Easy Cells’ Using naturally pigmented cells with a very rough and ready technique. See the accompanying resource called Easy Cells.

Diffusion in potatoes

Diffusion in potatoes 01:

Ideas for investigating potato cubes and diffusion. Does surface area and volume play any part?

Diffusion in potatoes 02:

Surface area, volume ratios and rates of diffusion.

Osmosis: Plant osmosis

osmosis:

Different plants; energy drinks; blood sampling. Beginning to think about how it all relies upon osmosis?

Plant osmosis 01:

Osmosis solution preparation 1M sucrose and salt solutions. Fruit juice serial dilutions the added benefit of using coloured solutions. Make sure there is sufficient solution in each tube and be aware of buoyant chips.

Plant osmosis 02:

Setting the scene with different chips. An attempt to cover several common sources of ‘Chips for Osmosis’ and underline the theory is same irrespective of the plant material.

Plant osmosis 03:

The chipper in action. Making chips very quickly ready for use in osmosis investigations.

Plant osmosis 04:

Measuring chip lengths from the extreme concentrations of solution. Chips gaining and losing turgor. Measuring chips from solutions (1M salt / sucrose and distilled water). Measuring length is a lot easier than recording changes in mass if you don’t have to.

Plant osmosis 05:

Novelty Osmosis. Variables: temperature changes Surface area changes using a crinkle chip cutter. Heart shaped cutters to make novel tissue shapes to explore osmosis.

Plant osmosis 06:

Potato heart shapes demonstrating osmosis in action.

Plant osmosis 07:

Carrot osmosis. Comparing the carrot tissue from the core and edge. Chips in 1M sucrose and sodium chloride compared.

Plant osmosis 08 (Potato boat):

Potato boats. Cutting wells to add different solutes, salt, white and brown sugar. Will we produce different volumes of solutions?

Plant Osmosis 09 (Potato boat):

Potato boat results of osmosis in action. Could you use a syringe to begin to compare the volume of water from the cells around the well? What might this tell you about osmosis?

Osmosis: potato

Potato chips 01:

Everyone’s favourite osmosis practical. Let’s see if we can make the activity quicker, more meaningful and dare, we say dependable. How to cut the chips. The pros and cons of cork borers. Use a chipper! Get chips of fairly regular dimensions for measuring mass or length which is easier; don’t forget diameter as well.

Potato boat 01:

This is known as a potato boat in the trade. Cut your potato in half, partly hollow it out. Add dry salt and watch in amazement at osmosis in action. Then look for explanations. We have more work to explore this further.

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