Question

What components of the eukaryotic cell were visible in the onion root tip? Which components were not? Why do you think some components were more visible than others?

Answer 1

Looking at the onion root tip under the microscope you can see large, rectangular cells with visible distinct cell walls surrounding it (cells have a more regular shape because of the wall). Inside the cells, you can notice darkly stained nucleus, large vacuoles at the center and sometimes small granules within the cytoplasm. Looking the onion root tip under the microscope is often the way to observe mitosis. Usually, you cannot see organelles such as mitochondria, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, centrioles and Golgi body as they appear translucent and because are too small to be seen under the light microscope (electron microscope required). Also, chloroplasts are not present in an onion cell because it is not a photosynthetic cell.