EOC Lab: Cell Differentiation

Name
Date
Lab A
Class
90 minutes
Cell Differentiation
It’s pretty amazing that a whole chicken with wings, feet, beak, feathers, and internal
organs can come from one cell, a fertilized egg. Shortly after fertilization, the cell begins to
divide. The new cells in the developing embryo become specialized in structure and
function. The process by which cells become specialized is called cellular differentiation.
Question
How does a single cell become a multicellular organism?
Materials
cooked eggs
forceps
plastic knife
boiled chicken leg
dissecting scissors
paper towels
Safety
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
2. Carefully examine the outside of your egg. Remove the shell.
3. Dissect the egg on a paper towel, cutting it in half from tip to rounded end. Examine
the inside.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4. Record your observations.
Include a labeled drawing.
Infer the function of each part of the egg.
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From a Cell to an Organism
Name
Date
Class
Lab A continued
5. Discard all your trash in the container provided.
6. Examine the outside of the chicken leg. Describe the skin and its functions.
7. Carefully remove the skin using forceps and dissecting scissors. Put the skin in your
discard container.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Examine the skinned leg. You should see evidence of fat and muscles. You might
also be able to see some blood vessels and tendons, but they are not always
visible after cooking. Describe each part that you see and explain its function.
8. Peel back the muscles to reveal the bones. Tendons, ligaments, and cartilage holding
the bones in place may also be evident.
9. Put all your trash in the discard container. Your teacher will give you instructions
about cleaning up.
From a Cell to an Organism
45
Name
Date
Class
Lab A continued
Analyze and Conclude
10.
The Big Idea A single cell can become a multicellular organism through the
process of cell differentiation. How do the organization of the egg and the chicken
leg compare?
11. Summarize How many different types of cell differentiation did you observe in the
chicken leg?
Communicate Your Results
Make a poster about how an egg transforms into a chicken
through the process of cell differentiation.
Lab Tips
• Work slowly and carefully on your dissections so as
Make Observations
Ask a Question
Form a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis
Analyze and Conclude
Communicate Results
46
From a Cell to an Organism
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
not to destroy any structures. Report any accidents
to your teacher immediately. Cleaning up is important!
Remember to use scientific
methods.
Name
Date
Lab B
Class
90 minutes
Cell Differentiation
It’s pretty amazing that a whole chicken with wings, feet, beak, feathers, and internal organs
can come from one cell, a fertilized egg. Shortly after fertilization, the cell begins to divide.
The new cells in the developing embryo become specialized both in structure and function.
The process by which cells become specialized is called cellular differentiation.
Question
How does a single cell become a multicellular organism?
Materials
cooked eggs
forceps
plastic knife
boiled chicken leg
dissecting scissors
paper towels
Safety
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
2. Carefully examine the outside of your egg. Remove the shell.
3. Dissect the egg on a paper towel, cutting it in half from tip to rounded end. Examine
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
the inside.
4. Record your observations. Include a labeled drawing. Infer the function of each part.
From a Cell to an Organism
47
Name
Date
Class
Lab B continued
5. Discard all your trash in the container provided.
6. Examine the outside of the chicken leg. Describe the skin and its functions.
7. Carefully remove the skin using forceps and dissecting scissors. Put the skin in your
discard container. Now you should see evidence of fat and muscles. You may also
be able to see some blood vessels and tendons, but these are not always visible after
cooking. Describe each part that you see and explain its function.
the bones in place may also be evident.
9. Put all your trash in the discard container. Your teacher will give you instructions about
cleaning up.
48
From a Cell to an Organism
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
8. Peel back the muscles to reveal the bones. Tendons, ligaments, and cartilage holding
Name
Date
Class
Lab B continued
Analyze and Conclude
10.
The Big Idea A single cell can become a multicellular organism through the process
of cell differentiation. How do the organization of the egg and the chicken leg compare?
11. Summarize How many different types of cell differentiation did you observe in the
chicken leg?
Communicate Your Results
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Make a poster about how an egg transforms into a chicken through the process of cell
differentiation.
Extension
Examine a whole raw chicken or a raw chicken leg that is still attached to a thigh. You
might be able to move the muscles in the legs or wings and see parts that were not visible
in this lab. Be sure to wear gloves and to wash well with soap and water after touching
the raw chicken.
Lab Tips
• Work slowly and carefully on your dissections so as
not to destroy any structures. Report any accidents to
your teacher immediately. Cleaning up is important!
Remember to use scientific
methods.
Make Observations
Ask a Question
Form a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis
Analyze and Conclude
Communicate Results
From a Cell to an Organism
49
Name
Date
Class
Lab C
Examining Plant Structures
Directions: Use the information and data from the Lab Cell Differentiation to perform this lab.
You have a dissected a cooked egg and chicken leg. You examined them to learn about
different structures related to cell differentiation. Design a procedure to examine a plant or
plant part such as a carrot. Make sure your teacher approves your design and safety
procedures before beginning your experiment.
Please note that you must complete Lab B before beginning Lab C. Have your teacher
approve your design and safety procedures before beginning your experiment.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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From a Cell to an Organism