cp 5- mitosis vid

• To prepare garlic root tips for mitosis:

  • Cut off 1 cm (or 5mm) from the growing end of the tips of five little roots
  • Place them into a glass block/ watch glass
  • Add hydrochloric acid for exactly 5 minutes
  • Wash the tips with cold water, ensuring to remove the acid for 4-5 mins
  • Transfer the tips to blotting/ filter paper to dry
  • Transfer the tips to microscope slides, suggesting to prepare four of them
• Examine the slide under low power to observe cells around the edges for evidence of mitosis, focusing on cells near the tip of the slide
• • Squash/ break up the tips with a mounted needle to break the cells open (maceration)
  • Stain the tips using 1 drop of toluidine blue, leaving the stain on for 2 minutes
  • Drop the cover slip at a 45° angle and gently lower it onto the stain
  • Press firmly with filter paper to spread the cells into a single layer if the cells are overlapping (avoid lateral movement of coverslip)