preparation of mounts

• You can view specimens under an optical microscope using what?

  slides
• how do you prepare a 'temporary mount' of a specimen on a slide?

  • Pipet a small drop of water onto the slide
  • Use tweezers to place a thin section of specimen on top of water drop
  • Add a drop of stain
  • Add the cover slip
• how do you add the cover slip?

  stand the slip upright on the slide, next to the water droplet

  then carefully tilt and lower it so it covers the specimen

  try to avoid getting air bubbles under it- they will obstruct view of specimen
• what is a slide?

  a strip of clear glass or plastic
• what is a cover slip?

  a square of clear plastic that protects the specimen
• why are stains used?

  to highlight objects in a cell
• give examples of stains used?

  • Eosin is used to make the cytoplasm show up
  • iodine in potassium iodide solution is used to stain starch grains in plant cells
• what do you use to lower cover slip?

  mounted needle
• what do you stain plant tissue with?

  iodine in potassium iodide