Cells

Activities

Labs

  • These are photographs of cells for showing students what they should be looking for under a microscope.
  • A “Microscope Lab” on the proper use of the microscope and how to prepare a slide or try “Learning to Use the Microscope.”
  • Osmosis in Potatoes (word doc) Lab
  • Compare human cheek cells and onion cells in “Comparing Plant and Animal Cells” (word doc) Lab. If Elodea (also called Anacharis) is available at a pet store near you, you may add this to the lab to observe chloroplasts.
  • See how boiling affects the absorption of Methylene blue by yeast cells in the “Cell Membranes” (word doc) Lab.
  • Use a cheap plastic baggie and iodine to show diffusion.
  • Observe osmosis using an egg. 
  • Do this “Speed of Diffusion” (word doc) demo using perfume and a 60-watt light bulb.
  • A fun middle school lab is “Diffusion of Water with Gummy Bears.”
  • Bill Froberg of Westford, MA modified the above lab. His version is “Investigation: Osmosis with Gummi Bears” (word doc). He also suggested that you try the experiment first since some brands of bears dissolve instead of swell.
  • Do this simple “Diffusion Lab” that uses a cornstarch solution, iodine, and plastic sandwich bags.
  • Birgit Musheno from the NSTA Listserve contributed the “What Is the Ideal Cell Size” (word doc) lab that uses potatoes.

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