• Growth in plants occurs in specific regions called?meristems
• The root tip meristem can be used to study?mitosis
• The root tip meristem can be found?just behind the protective root cap
• In the root tip meristem, there is a?zone of cell division?that contains cells undergoing?mitosis
• Pre-prepared slides of root tips can be studied or temporary slides can be prepared using the?squash technique?(root tips are?stained?and then?gently squashed, spreading the cells out into a thin sheet and allowing individual cells undergoing mitosis to be clearly seen)

Micrograph showing a stained root tip

Method

• Garlic?or?onion?(Allium cepa) root tips are most commonly used (the bulbs can be encouraged to grow roots by suspending them over water for a week or two)
• Remove the tips of the roots (about 1cm) and place in a suitable?stain?(eg. warm, acidified acetic orcein, which stains chromosomes a deep purple)
• The stained root tip is?gently squashed?on a?glass slide?using a blunt instrument (eg. the handle of a mounting needle)
• Cells undergoing mitosis (similar to those in the images below) can be seen and drawn
• Annotations can then be added to these drawings to show the?different stages of mitosis

Analysis

Micrograph showing a cell undergoing prophase (P)

Micrograph showing cells undergoing metaphase (M) and anaphase (A)

Micrograph showing cells undergoing metaphase (M) and anaphase (A)

Micrograph showing a cell undergoing anaphase (A)