1How do you prepare a root tip?
Cut a growing root tip, fix it in acid, and stain it.
2What dye is used to stain root tips?
Ethano-orcein.
3Why do you use safety gear in root tip preparation?
To protect from chemicals like acid and stains.
4Why is hydrochloric acid used in preparation?
It softens the tissue for easier spreading.
5How long do you incubate the root tip in acid?
About 5 minutes at 60°C.
6What do you do after incubating the root tip?
Rinse it with cold water.
7What is the next step after rinsing?
Cut 2 mm from the root tip and place it on a slide.
8How do you spread the root tip cells?
Squash them gently with a cover slip.
9Why should you squash cells gently?
To avoid smearing and damaging chromosomes.
10What are the stages of mitosis?
Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.
11What does staining help you see?
Chromosomes during mitosis.
12What is the formula for the mitotic index?
Mitotic index = (Cells with visible chromosomes ÷ Total cells observed).
13What does a high mitotic index indicate?
High cell division activity.
14What does the mitotic index measure?
The proportion of dividing cells.
15How do you calculate actual cell size?
Actual size = Image size ÷ Magnification.
16What is a graticule?
A tool for measuring structures under a microscope.
17What are artefacts in microscopy?
Distortions caused by preparation methods.
18Why do artefacts appear in electron microscopy?
Complex sample preparation introduces errors.
19How can you avoid artefacts?
Use careful techniques when preparing samples.
20What happens if the tissue is not spread thinly?
Light cannot pass through, making observation difficult.