Question

Describe stepwise how you would make a slide of an onion peel and observe it under a microscope.

Answer 1

Steps to make a slide of an onion peel and observe under a microscope are

• Take onion, blade, forceps, glass slides and coverslip, iodine solution, glycerine, blotting paper, dropper and a microscope.
• Using forceps, separate the scales and peel one piece of onion scale.
• Place the scale on glass slide and add a drop of dilute iodine solution.
• Put a drop of glycerine on another glass slide, cover it with a coverslip and wipe the excess glycerine on sides with blotting paper and view under the microscope.
• Thick cell walls and large vacuoles, which are found in plant cells, can be observed.