Observing Cells

• Organelles found only in plant cells

  Chloroplasts, the cell wall and the vacuole
• Job of the cell membrane


  Controls what goes in and out of the cell
• Cells


  The building blocks of life. All living organisms are made of cells. Cells are the basic unit of a living organism.
• Organisms made of only one cell

  • Bacteria
• Organisms made of millions of cells

  • Humans
• Robert Hooke discovered cells
• Robert Hooke saw plant cells (specifically, cork)
• How to use a microscope

  1. Move the stage to its lowest position

  2. Place the slide with the object on the stage

  3. Select the objective lens with the lowest magnification

  4. Look through the eyepiece and turn the coarse focus knob slowly until you see the object

  5. Turn the fine focus knob until the object comes into focus

  6. Repeat steps 1-5 using an objective lens with higher magnification to see the object in greater detail
• Total magnification


  Eyepiece lens magnification x object lens magnification
• Total magnification calculations


  • x500
  • x800
  • x400