Key learning points

1. A light microscope can be used to observe plant cells in different stages of mitosis (e.g. from onion root tip).
2. The parts of a light microscope and their functions.
3. The sequence of steps for setting up a light microscope to observe cells, including changing the magnification & focus.
4. Explaining observations from microscopy using ideas about what happens during stages of the cell cycle.

Keywords

• Light microscope - A type of microscope that uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects.

• Mitosis - A type of cell division that produces genetically identical cells.

• Lens - A piece of glass or other transparent material with curved sides, used in a microscope to magnify objects.

• Magnification - Making small objects appear larger in order to see more detail.

• Focus - A point where light rays converge to form an image with clarity.

Common misconception