Mitosis Experiment Onion Root Tip Procedure

Mitosis Experiment Onion Root Tip Procedure
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The Mitosis Experiment with an onion root tip is a common laboratory procedure used to observe the stages of cell division (mitosis) in plants. Onion root tips are ideal for this experiment because they have a high rate of cell division. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to conduct this experiment:

Materials Needed: Onion bulbs, Beaker, Distilled water, Hydrochloric acid (1M), Acetic orcein stain (or any other suitable mitotic stain), Microscope slides and cover slips, Scalpel or razor blade, Forceps, Compound microscope, Bunsen burner or hot plate, Timer

Procedure:
1. Growing Onion Roots:
Place an onion bulb in a beaker filled with distilled water.
Allow the roots to grow for 3-5 days in a well-lit area. The roots should be about 1-2 cm long.

2. Preparing Root Tips:
Select a few root tips and cut them off with a scalpel. The tips should be about 1-2 mm long because the meristematic region (where active cell division occurs) is located at the tip.

3. Softening the Root Tips:
Place the root tips in a beaker with 1M hydrochloric acid and heat gently (using a Bunsen burner or hot plate) for about 5 minutes. This softens the cell walls, making it easier to stain and squash the cells.

4. Staining the Root Tips:
Remove the root tips from the acid and rinse them with distilled water.
Transfer the root tips to a microscope slide and add a few drops of acetic orcein stain. Allow the stain to penetrate the root tips for about 10-15 minutes. This stains the chromosomes so they are visible under the microscope.

5. Squashing the Root Tips:
After staining, use a scalpel to cut off the very tip of the root (about 1 mm) and place it on a clean microscope slide.
Add a drop of distilled water to the root tip and cover it with a cover slip.
Gently press down on the cover slip with a blunt object (like the eraser end of a pencil) to spread the cells into a single layer. This is called squashing and helps to make the cells more visible under the microscope.

6. Observing the Cells:
Place the slide under a compound microscope and start with the lowest magnification to locate the cells.
Increase the magnification to observe the different stages of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

Stages of Mitosis to Identify:
Prophase: Chromosomes condense and become visible; the nuclear membrane begins to disintegrate.
Metaphase: Chromosomes line up at the metaphase plate (center of the cell).
Anaphase: Chromosomes are pulled apart to opposite ends of the cell.
Telophase: Nuclear membranes reform around the separated chromosomes, which decondense.

By following these steps, you can successfully prepare onion root tips and observe the stages of mitosis under a microscope.

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