THE PLANT KINGDOM

MICROSCOPE

How to prepare a slide in order to examine the tip of a plant root.
Because these are given in the form of instructions, the imperative form of the verb is used.

  1. Cut off the last 1/2 cm of root.
  2. Place it in a drop of water on a microscope slide.
  3. Touch the edge of the drop of water with a glass cover-slip held up by a needle.
  4. For the first squash preparation, the root chosen should be quite a thick one. Because the root is quite thick, the slip will easily rest on top, and the water will not run out at the side.
  5. Wrap the slide in a tissue or other absorbent paper. Tap the slide with a pencil, or press it very gently just over the root tip, using your forefinger.
  6. As you put pressure on the root (as the root is squashed), the water now fills the whole space between the slide and the cover-slip, and the root becomes transparent.
  7. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope.

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