Cell Structure

Lexi Baylor

2/16/17

BSC2010L

Investigation 2

        Animal cells, plant cells, fungi, and protozoa are four smaller kingdoms that belong to the Eucarya group. These four kingdoms have many aspects in common. They also have differences to help tell them apart. Even though they have few differences, those differences are very significant and play vital parts in the function of these cells. Both plant and animal cells contain a nucleolus, golgi apparatus, ribosomes, cellular membrane and mitochondria. On the other hand, only plant cells and fungi cells have a cell wall and vacuoles. Protists are organisms that are not plant, animal or fungi cells. The science behind naming and classifying these cells into groups based on their characteristics is called taxonomy. Taxonomy helps with communication among scientist as well as grouping organism with like characteristics. By utilizing the similarities and differences between the four different kingdoms, the guiding question of this experiment “How Should the Unknown Microscopic Organisms be classified?” can be answered by classifying the unknown organism based off the characteristics present and those not present.

        Systematic observations were conducted on all the samples. All cells were observed at a 1000x magnification. After creating a wet mount of the unknown, a compound light microscope was used to observe the unknown organism. The characteristics of the unknown were recorded through observation. The four known cells were premade slides. Plant cell D, which was an alfalfa plant, was then observed and recorded.  For animal cell slide A, a toothpick was used to scrap the lingual surface of a mouth to collect a sample of the cells in the mucous membrane. The cells were then plated onto a slide and a single drop of methylene blue stain was added to help with the observation of the cells under the compound light microscope. A cover slip was then placed on top to create a wet mount. Animal cell slide B was a prepared slide of human tongue; this was placed under the compound microscope and observed. The observations were recorded. Plant cell C, a wet mount of Elodea, was prepared and observed. Observations were recorded.  

Table 1.

        The unknown cell belongs in the protozoa kingdom. The unknown cell moved around and had the capability to shift its shape somewhat. It was an oval shape, had a nucleus, and had a flagellum. Based off the observations, plant cells tend to have an overall square shaped structure. Plant cells also do not contain a flagellum and they also don’t have individual cell movement.  Seeing the unknown organism was oval shaped, moved, and possessed a tail; this eliminates it from being classified as a plant cell. Even though Protista cells and animal cells both have a flagellum based off the observations recorded, the unknown couldn’t be classified as an animal cell due to the fact there is no apparent structure inside the unknown cell. Through observation, Animal Cell Slide A and Animal Cell Slide B were multicellular, the unknown cell was single-cellular. This would eliminate the unknown from being classified as an animal cell. The unknown cell belongs to the protozoa kingdom because it simply just doesn’t fit into any of the other of the three eukaryotic kingdoms. Certain characteristics the unknown possesses deducts it from being in either the plantae kingdom or the animalia kingdom. The taxonomy system is significant in biology because it allows scientist to classify certain organisms. It also shows the relationships between organisms of the same kingdom and compares those to different kingdoms. Group six came to the same conclusion and stated the unknown was a Protista cell. They argued that the unknown cell moved around therefore it could not be classified as a plant or fungi cell. Group three claimed just because it had both plant and animal characteristics, it made it a Protista cell. Their observation stated the unknown had a tail, was green colored and mobile. Group four and group five both claimed the unknown cell was an animal cell. Their justification stated that because it had an elongated shape and a flagellum it made it an animal cell. This justification doesn’t make sense because animal cells are multi-cellular while the unknown cell was single-cellular and also had the ability to shift its shape.