Onion Cell Division Observation Lab

🎯 Objective

Students will:

• Observe images of onion cells in various stages of mitosis.

• Identify and label each phase (Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase).

• Estimate the percentage of time cells spend in each stage using observation data.

Interphase: Cell grows, DNA copies (looks tangled)

Prophase: Chromosomes condense, nucleus disappears

Metaphase: Chromosomes line up in the middle

Anaphase: Chromosomes move apart

Telophase: Two new nuclei form, cell splits

Each Phase

Study each of the onion cell photos.
Ask yourself:

• at do you see in the nucleus?

• Are the chromosomes tangled, lined up, or separating?

• Which phase do you think happens the most?