A student observes the stages of cell division in cells taken from the root tips of an onion plant.
They prepare a squash slide by placing a small piece of the onion root tip onto a microscope slide.
Complete each sentence below to describe how they prepare and view the slide. Use words from the box:
coverslipeyepiecefocuslightobjectivestagestainwater\begin{array}{|cccc|} \hline \text{coverslip} & \text{eyepiece} & \text{focus} & \text{light} \\ \text{objective} & \text{stage} & \text{stain} & \text{water} \\ \hline \end{array}coverslipobjectiveeyepiecestagefocusstainlightwater
- To color the chromosomes and make them clearly visible, the student adds a few drops of ____________________.
- The slide is then placed securely on the flat microscope ____________________.
- The student first selects the-low power ____________________ lens.
- The student turns a knob on the side of the microscope to bring the cells into sharp ____________________.
The diagram below represents some of the cells observed under high power magnification.
(i) State the name of the stage of mitosis where the chromosomes are seen starting to move apart toward opposite poles of the cell.
(ii) State the name of the cell structure visible as a distinct dark circle in the non-dividing cells.
Give one reason why the tissue for this cell-division sample was taken from the root tips.