AS 91160 · 3 credits · Internal
Microscopy
Investigate biological material at the microscopic level
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You'll carry out a practical investigation where you prepare biological samples (two different plant tissues and one single-celled organism) for viewing under a microscope, carefully observe and draw what you see, and then explain how the specialised features you observe help those cells do their job. This is a hands-on standard that tests both your practical lab skills and your ability to understand cell biology at a deeper level.
What to do, grades and common mistakes
- ·Prepare biological material properly for microscope viewing using techniques like staining, making thin sections, or creating epidermal tears
- ·Use a light microscope to view your samples and observe fine details of cell structures and organelles
- ·Create accurate biological drawings that follow proper conventions, with correct proportions and the typical organelles you actually see
- ·Identify specialised features in what you observe (like cell shape, arrangement, presence of certain organelles, or how organelles are distributed)
- ·Explain how and why these specialised features help the cells carry out their specific functions
You prepare samples, observe them under the microscope, produce a biological drawing with mostly correct conventions, identify the specialised features present, and state what those features do for the cell.