What stage of mitosis is shown in this image of an onion root tip?
metaphase
The photomicrograph below depicts onion root tip cell chromosomes in metaphase, ready for separation. The kinetochore and polar microtubules are clearly visible and radiate out the ends of the cell leaving the chromosomes in the middle of the complex.
What is the purpose of the onion root tip lab?
These regions of growth are good for studying the cell cycle because at any given time, you can find cells that are undergoing mitosis. In order to examine cells in the tip of an onion root, a thin slice of the root is placed onto a microscope slide and stained so the chromosomes will be visible.
How will you grow onion root tips in a lab?
1. Real Lab Procedure:
- Take an onion and place it on the tile.
- Carefully remove the dry roots present using a sharp blade.
- Grow root tips by placing the bulbs in a beaker filled with water.
- New roots may take 3–6 days to grow.
- Cut off 2–3 cm of freshly grown roots and let them drop into a watch glass.
What characteristics of onion root tip allowed you to identify mitotic cells?
An onion root tip is a rapidly growing part of the onion and thus many cells will be in different stages of mitosis. The onion root tips can be prepared and squashed in a way that allows them to be flattened on a microscopic slide, so that the chromosomes of individual cells can be observed easily.
What is fixation in onion root tip?
Root tips are grown and preserved in acetic ethanol fixative. Fixed root tips can be stored for at least two weeks prior to staining. Treatment with acid and heat is used to break up the cellulose cell wall allowing stain to permeate the tissue and makes it easier to squash the tissue on a microscope slide.
What stage were most of the onion root tip cells in?
The cells cycle stage that most of the cells were in was interphase. To me, this implies that the cells in the onion root tips typically spend a good amount (if not all) of their life span in the interphase stage.
What occurs in onion root tip?
Cell division occurs rapidly in growing root tips of sprouting seeds or bulbs. The onion root tips can be prepared and squashed in a way that allows them to be flattened on a microscopic slide, so that the chromosomes of individual cells can be observed easily.
Why are onion root tips used to find and analyze cells in mitosis?
Onion root tips are commonly used to study mitosis. They are sites of rapid growth, so the cells are dividing rapidly.
How do you make onion root tips?
Take the onion plant with newly sprouted roots and cut two root tips using scissors and transfer them into a plastic microfuge tube. Fill 2/3 of the tube with 1N HCl using a dropper. Place the tube in a 60°C water bath and incubate the tube for 12- 15 minutes. Remove the tube from the water bath after the incubation.
Why is the onion root tip a good specimen for studying mitosis?
why is the onion root a good specimen for studying mitosis? Cells of the onion are growing so it is easy to find cells in various stages of mitosis.
What makes onion roots ideal for studying mitosis?
Onion roots are ideal for studying mitosis because onions have larger chromosomes than most plants, making the observation of cells easier. The roots of plants also continue to grow as they continue to search for water and nutrients. The stages of mitosis are interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.
Why do you use root tips in mitosis experiment?
It is because of the meristematic cells that are situated in the tip of the roots that render the most desirable and suitable raw material to study the different stages of mitosis. Onion is a monocot plant. Monocotyledonous plants possess large chromosomes that are clearly visible. Hence, their root tips are used.
Where is mitosis most common in the onion root?
mitosis does not occur at the same rate in all parts of the onion root but it occurs more frequently at the tip because this is the part that is growing down into the soil. This hypothesis leads to the prediction that: area X should have more cells in mitosis than area Y. Since the onion root tip used for Area Z is at the tip and