Mentoring Students With The Nursing And Midwifery Council...

A mentor is a facilitator who empowers practitioners and draws them to learn for themselves by reflecting on practice (Fish, 2012). After mentoring students, this assignment will give me the opportunity to understand what a mentor is, as well as the importance of the role in supporting students through their journey in becoming a registered nurse. Reflecting upon my experience I will progress to discuss how I facilitated learning by creating learning opportunities. Literature will be reviewed, considering what theories underpin mentorship in order to facilitate my own learning. Giving negative feedback is an area which I feel inexperienced in, therefore I will explore this area to develop my confidence for future students. In compliance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008), I must facilitate students and others to develop their competence. As a nurse, I have a professional duty to become a mentor. Anderson (2011) describes effective mentorship as a necessity to ensure students can progress to competent nurses. Supporting the learning and development of a student nurse is an integral part of being a qualified nurse (Casey and Clark 2011). Fulton (1995) explains; to enable learners to learn through practice, mentors need skills, abilities and capacity to (re)construct their own knowledge for themselves and each other by thinking and reflecting together. Hand (2006b) states that education is an important component of the nursing role and the quality ofShow MoreRelatedReflection: Nursing and Mentors Essay3273 Words   |  14 PagesNursing Practice Review Mentoring Keywords: Mentoring/Continuing professional development/Portfolio ââ€" This article has been double-blind peer reviewed CPD for mentors: creating a portfolio Mentors can use a portfolio of evidence to show continuing professional development In this article... Why mentors need a CPD portfolio How to create a portfolio of evidence Using a SWOT analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses Author Louise Lawson is senior lecturer, School of NursingRead MoreReflection on Mentorship Essay2693 Words   |  11 PagesThis would enable Jude to integrate theory into practice. I would use a pseudonym ‘Jude’ to comply with mentee confidentiality as stated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2004). During the orientation of Jude, I made sure that I introduced a mentoring approach in practice education, so as to support her learning and assessment in practice (NMC, 2008). This would develop her skills and confidence in the new placement area (RCN, 2007). I did this by introducing myself to her as a mentorRead MoreMentoring and Assessing Essay3485 Words   |  14 PagesCritically examine the mentors accountability in their role as facilitators of learning and in the assessment of students competence. Over the last decade the National Health Service (NHS) has continued its drive to optimise health outcomes, reduce health inequalities and conform to nationally agreed best practice in order to provide a more patient centred service. Accordingly, the present culture needed to adapt in a way as to encourage and strengthen clinical leadership and develop a workforceRead MoreNursing Mentor Reflection Paper1714 Words   |  7 Pagesmentor which took place as a part of virtual student placement within a hospital setting. Mentor is someone who is a registered nurse and who can assess and help the students with their learning process in a practical area, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2006). According to Bulman and Schutz (2013), reflection is an important part of the development of nursing skills and knowledge. In this essay I am using Chris as a virtual student as per the NMC code(2015), confidentiality maintained and allRead MoreNursing Mentorship Critical Reflection2788 Words   |  12 PagesThe Nursing and Midwifery council (NMC) standards of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education (2010) sets out exactly what student nurses must achieve to enable registration onto the first part of the register. Another NMC publication; Standards to support learning and assessment in practice (2006) lays out what a post registration nurse requires to fulfil in order to formally assess student nurses. These two sets of standards make it clear what is expected of both students and mentorsRead MoreMentorship in Nursing4737 Words   |  19 PagesMentoring has been established in a variety of fields for many years. Within nursing, the term ‘mentor’ denotes â€Å"A nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in a practice setting†, (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2005). The essay will explore the role of the mentor in the field of nursing, with personal reflect ion on the authors experience as a mentor in my current role as a community mental health nurse (CMHN)Read MoreMentoring and Enabling Learning in the Practice Setting Essay5052 Words   |  21 PagesMentoring and enabling learning in the practice setting A reflective account of my experience of facilitating learning, assessing and teaching a student or co-worker, and how this experience will inform my future development within the mentor or practice teacher role. Student Number: 2930211 Word Count: 3150 Part 1: Introducing the Mentorship role I am a band five registered paediatric nurse based on an orthopaedic and spinal surgical ward in a tertiary paediatric hospital. I am currentlyRead More Mentoring Nursing and Healthcare Students Essay2967 Words   |  12 PagesThe Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) defines the role of a mentor as a nurse with specific training who is able to facilitate learning, and supports and supervises students in a practice setting (NMC 2008). Mentorship plays an integral part in the next generation of practitioners and nursing professionals play a vital role in guiding a process that allows the transference of knowledge, skills and attributes from healthcare professionals to the students they are working with (English National BoardRead MoreFacilitation of Learning1390 Words   |  6 Pagesalso explore my role to support the students who are failing. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008a), defines â€Å"the role of a mentor as someone who facilitates learning, supervises and assesses learners in practice setting.† The mentor is a key support to students in practice, this is where students apply their knowledge, learn key skills and achieve the required competence for registration. Mentors are accountable to the NMC for their decision that students are fit for practice and that theyRead MoreI Am A Staff Nurse Working At Gynaecology Department Delivering Care For The Pregnant Women With Different Complications1075 Words   |  5 PagesThe aim of this assignment is to focus on the mentor role and to make sure that the student has met the criteria required for the clinical placements. A mentor is therefore an individual who has achieved the knowledge, skills and competence required to meet the defined outcomes of stage 2 of the developmental framework to support learning and assessment in practice(NMC,2006a). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008a) defines â€Å"the role of a mentor as someone who facilitates learning, supervises

SAT free essay sample

You must complete your SAT work before 9 pm. Remember to practice your SAT sections before the upcoming test Im sure these phrases repeatedly surface around the lives of a typical high school teenager born into a typical asian family. For others, these phrases may not bring so much of a fond memory. For teens around the world, even more so for US teenagers, these years bring the most cumbersome obstacles but also at the same time transport with it cherished memories of new friendships and newly discovered passions. It is at these years that we truly attempt to find ourselves and strive to reveal inherent characteristics that we harbor that are not necessarily accepted by convention. Of course, at this stage we are like new born chicks trying to break free from our shells, the seemingly undefiable boundary set forth by our parents and our peers. Teenage years is also the time of constant struggle and battle with ourselves. We will write a custom essay sample on SAT or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even if we came upon some hint of new discovered ability, we would soon be suppressed because these abilities are new. Others, including parents and our peers fear that unique light emitted from individuals. Our peers resolve to drastic issues to prevent ones unique quality from surfacing, and they often do so by restricting those who may harbor the faintest trace of variability. Perhaps provoked by a natural sense of social instinct, we feel the dire necessity for conformity and thus resolve to supress that magical unique abiltity we inherently acquire. As a teenage asian female, I also used to fall victim to the so called accepted standards of beliefs. To please my parents and peers, I resolve to behave in the normal manner or a typical chinese student, studying endlessly for that perfect score on the test and aimlessly participating in some activities for the sake of college applications. At first I thought I would be contented enough to just follow through with the everyday tedi ous monotonous schedules. But as time progressed, I felt the tinge of resentment and unease gradually surfacing. At times I would even question the basis in which I would complete these tasks. I looked deep inside of myself and asked exactly what activity I truly harbor passion for. Suddenly, a realization struck me that all this time, I was trying to conform and please others. I never accomplished anything much for my own sake. At the same time, I detested this part of myself and want to discover, even aspire to bring forward some suppressed ability that I never knew I had. Of course, the path is by no means a easy one. Picture for example, starting out with an almost blank slate of chalk board and attempting to write or create something with the chalk in a matter of a few seconds. This is almost an impossible task. Nevertheless, I decided to not lose hope. I sincerely believed that the light that I hope to find is hidden somewhere in the obscurity of my own disillusions. From that point on, I decided to truly give myself an opportunity and truly let myself open up to all activities I participate in. Instead of viewing the activities as a source for that one or two lines on the college application, I started to appreciate those activities and perceive them as the medium for the path of self discovery. Gradually, I opened my mindset and no longer focused solely upon obtaining that perfect score, but learned for the sake of knowledge and a better understanding of the world that I live in. Inevitably, I also realized the extent of my previously held resentment dissolved and contentment and fervor for life substitued its position. In literature, we often associate ourselves as our greatest nemesis. Ive viewed to truly to take a form in reality. Of course, that is not to say that I have completely eradicated and surpassed the abilties of this nemesis. I believe that it will take on some other form and linger in the corner eventually for me to battle. But I hold wi th conviction one thing,by overcoming even the slightest obstacle I will ultimately advance to the top.

The Debate Over Multicultural Education In America Essays

The Debate Over Multicultural Education in America America has long been called "The Melting Pot" due to the fact that it is made up of a varied mix of races, cultures, and ethnicities. As more and more immigrants come to America searching for a better life, the population naturally becomes more diverse. This has, in turn, spun a great debate over multiculturalism. Some of the issues under fire are who is benefiting from the education, and how to present the material in a way so as to offend the least amount of people. There are many variations on these themes as will be discussed later in this paper. In the 1930's several educators called for programs of cultural diversity that encouraged ethnic and minority students to study their respective heritages. This is not a simple feat due to the fact that there is much diversity within individual cultures. A look at a 1990 census shows that the American population has changed more noticeably in the last ten years than in any other time in the twentieth century, with one out of every four Americans identifying themselves as black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, or American Indian (Gould 198). The number of foreign born residents also reached an all time high of twenty million, easily passing the 1980 record of fourteen million. Most people, from educators to philosophers, agree that an important first step in successfully joining multiple cultures is to develop an understanding of each others background. However, the similarities stop there. One problem is in defining the term "multiculturalism". When it is looked at simply as meaning the existence of a culturally integrated society, many people have no problems. However, when you go beyond that and try to suggest a different way of arriving at that culturally integrated society, Everyone seems to have a different opinion on what will work. Since education is at the root of the problem, it might be appropriate to use an example in that context. Although the debate at Stanford University ran much deeper than I can hope to touch in this paper, the root of the problem was as follows: In 1980, Stanford University came up with a program - later known as the "Stanford-style multicultural curriculum" which aimed to familiarize students with traditions, philosophy, literature, and history of the West. The program consisted of 15 required books by writers such as Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Aquinas, Marx, and Freud. By 1987, a group called the Rainbow Coalition argued the fact that the books were all written by DWEM's or Dead White European Males. They felt that this type of teaching denied students the knowledge of contributions by people of color, women, and other oppressed groups. In 1987, the faculty voted 39 to 4 to change the curriculum and do away with the fifteen book requirement and the term "Western" for the study of at least one non-European culture and proper attention to be given to the issues of race and gender (Gould 199). This debate was very important because its publicity provided the grounds for the argument that America is a pluralistic society and to study only one people would not accurately portray what really makes up this country. Proponents of multicultural education argue that it offers students a balanced appreciation and critique of other cultures as well as our own (Stotsky 64). While it is common sense that one could not have a true understanding of a subject by only possessing knowledge of one side of it, this brings up the fact that there would never be enough time in our current school year to equally cover the contributions of each individual nationality. This leaves teachers with two options. The first would be to lengthen the school year, which is highly unlikely because of the political aspects of the situation. The other choice is to modify the curriculum to only include what the instructor (or school) feels are the most important contributions, which again leaves them open to criticism from groups that feel they are not being equally treated. A national standard is out of the question because of the fact that different parts of the country contain certain concentrations of nationalities. An example of this is the high concentration of Cubans in Florida or Latinos in the west. Nonetheless, teachers are at the top of the agenda when it comes to multiculturalism. They can do the most for children during the early years of learning, when kids are most impressionable. By engaging students in activities that follow the lines of their multicultural curriculum, they

The Psychology of Thinking and Communication The WritePass Journal

The Psychology of Thinking and Communication Recommendations: The Psychology of Thinking and Communication ). These three exercises help in laying the foundations for learning, and the five key skills of reading and writing (Lloyd, 1992). Jolly Phonics training courses are comprehensive and use literacy skills that are built upon by Jolly Grammar that helps the children to enhance grammar skills (Jolly learning, 2012). If Jolly Phonics is used as a training tool in schools for enhancing reading and writing skills among children, Jolly Grammar and Jolly Readers will have to be used as well. The implementation of these three programs will be  £50,000 annually although this program and technical tool for reading will be of substantial help to teachers and students alike. Evidence and Literature Review: The Jolly Phonics learning programs have been successfully implemented with the collaboration of NGOs and charities such as Absolute Return for Kids. Evidential results from these implementation case studies have shown that the Jolly Phonics and synthetic phonics programs have helped very young children in learning basic literacy skills of writing and reading (Bowey, 2006). Children learn how to form and use these letters quickly and easily (Lloyd, 1992). Along with developing reading skills for the alphabets, with the aid of sounds, children can enhance their new writing skills. The multisensory methods used in Jolly Phonics help the children to blend the sounds together so that they can read and write new words using the sounds of new letters (Jolly learning, 2012). With the sounds of the new words, children use segmentation to identify the association of words and sounds that helps them to improve their spelling (Stuart, 1999). There are some tricky words that use irregular spellings that help the children to learn these spellings and words separately. The tool draws on the findings from learning research as it is known now that reading and writing develop together and reinforce one another. It is also suggested that writing words the way they sound, helps children to read faster. In a report on synthetic phonics used in an East London School for children, the BBC (2005) reported that the method was revolutionary in teaching the basic skills of reading and writing to children using sounds. There is evidence that the program encourages parental involvement and there are beneficial effects of parental praise and encouragement as this helps to improve learning skills. The Jolly Phonics program could help students to develop comprehensive grammar, reading, writing and spelling skills (BBC, 2005). Conclusion: Considering the benefits of this program and the learning skills that the tool helps to achieve, the LEA would be recommended to invest for 3 years before further reappraisal of the project results. The rationale for a three-year investment could be drawn from the fact that Jolly Phonics is most effective for the first three years of learning. With a three year investment from LEA, Jolly Phonics could become a successful technical tool for schools and the results of the implementation of the program have been provided by studies in schools of developing countries already using Jolly Phonics as an effective learning aid. Bibliography and Further Information Adams, M. J. (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. BBC NEWS (2005),   Trusting Phonics retrieved Feb 26, 2013 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4584491.stm Bowey, Judith A. (2006). Need for systematic synthetic phonics teaching within the early reading curriculum. Australian Psychologist, 41(2), 79-84 Johnston, Rhona S. Watson Joyce (1997). Jolly Phonics is research based Systematic/Synthetic Phonics. Article. Literacy Learning Magazine, Autumn issue. Jolly learning (2012) Teaching literacy with Jolly Phonics. Retrieved February 26th 2013 from http://jollylearning.co.uk/overview-about-jolly-phonics/ Lloyd, Sue, 1992. The Jolly Phonics Handbook. Jolly Learning Ltd. Essex, United Kingdom Stuart, Moral (1999). Getting ready for reading: Early phoneme awareness and phonics teaching improves reading and spelling in inner-city second language learners. British Journal of Educational Psychology. The British Psychological Society, 69, 587–605 References BBC NEWS (2005),   Trusting Phonics retrieved Feb 26, 2013 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4584491.stm Bowey, J.A. (2006). Need for systematic synthetic phonics teaching within the early reading curriculum. Australian Psychologist, 41(2), 79-84 Jolly learning (2012) Teaching literacy with Jolly Phonics. Retrieved February 26th 2013 from http://jollylearning.co.uk/overview-about-jolly-phonics/ Lloyd, S, (1992). The Jolly Phonics Handbook. Jolly Learning Ltd. Essex, United Kingdom Stuart, M. (1999). Getting ready for reading: Early phoneme awareness and phonics teaching improves reading and spelling in inner-city second language learners. British Journal of Educational Psychology. The British Psychological Society, 69, 587–605

Banking System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Banking System - Essay Example When it comes to wire transfers, the most annoying thing in it is with regard to the lengthy and painstaking procedures involved in authentication and also the cost factor is a major concern. The cost of initiating a wire transfer of money say, between America and England would cost a minimum of $15, which is quite costly. Another major factor of concern is the accessibility. Even today, the common man has to go to any branch of a bank even if there are cases where there is only a single branch in most of the cities. Such a limitation makes it difficult for effective and smooth business, when other modern technologies are at hand. The modern era has seen an increase in wireless communication along with the advent of the age of the Internet and the WWW (world wide web). As such, banks today feel the need to take advantage of these developments and modify their current operations in order to incorporate such new technologies and practices. 1) System Startup: The system is started up when the operator turns the operator switch to the "on" position. The operator will be asked to enter the amount of money currently in the cash dispenser, and a connection to the bank will be established. Then the servicing of customers can begin. 2) System Shutdown: The system is shut down when the operator makes sure that no customer is using the machine, and then turns the operator switch to the "off" position. The connection to the bank will be shut down. Then the operator is free to remove deposited envelopes, replenish cash and paper, etc.3) Session: A session is started when a customer inserts an ATM card into the card reader slot of the machine. The ATM pulls the card into the machine and reads it. (If the reader cannot read the card due to improper insertion or a damaged stripe, the card is ejected, an error screen is displayed, and the session is aborted.) The customer is asked to enter his/her PIN, and is then allowed to perform one or more transactions, choosing from a menu of possible types of transaction in each case. After each transaction, the customer is asked whether he/she would like to perform another. When the customer is through performing transactions, the card is ejected from the machine and the sessio n ends. If a transaction is aborted due to too many invalid PIN entries, the session is also aborted, with the card being retained in the machine.The customer may abort the session by pressing the Cancel key when entering a PIN or choosing a transaction type. 4) Transaction: A transaction use case is started within a session when the customer chooses a transaction type from a menu of options. The customer will be asked to furnish appropriate details (e.g. account(s) involved, amount). The transaction will then be sent to the bank, along with information from the customer's card and the PIN the customer

Market prices, Valuation Principle, Net present Value, interest rates, Essay

Market prices, Valuation Principle, Net present Value, interest rates, and bonds - Essay Example Through the market price, the financial managers can easily know the current price of the products and services of the company and also can estimate the future price of the products and services. The managers can also be aware of the price of the raw materials and other necessary things that are required for the smooth functioning of the business. Another essential thing that is important and can be known through the current market price is the requirement of working capital of a business. Moreover, through these the future working capital requirement can also be met. Understanding the current price of the debentures and shares is also of high value for the finance manager. The price of the share and debenture are of great importance to the financial manager because through these prices the total share capital and the value of the business can be calculated. Furthermore, on the basis of these values and financial structure, the firm can expect higher investment from the public. Hence , on the basis of the above analysis it can be said that the market price is highly useful to the financial manager (Investopedia, n.d.) Question 2: Discuss How the Valuation Principle Helps a Financial Manager Make Decisions Valuation is the method of judging the potential market value of the assets and liabilities of a firm. Valuation is essential and is required in the business for the future prospects. The work of valuation generally arises from mergers, acquisition, valuation of assets and liabilities. The valuation principle is of great importance to the finance manager in order to make the decisions regarding the future possibilities of the firm. Risk is associated with every aspects of the business. Through different valuation techniques, the finance manager can estimate the future risk associated with the business or any other projects. After considering the level of risk the finance manager can estimate the profits associated with the businesses and projects. The valuation principle helps the finance manager to estimate the outlook of the assets and liabilities of the business and can also make an assessment for the future requirements by the business house. Tax assessment is one of the important aspects of the business for the finance manager. Hence, with the various tools of the valuation principles, the finance manager can easily estimate the tax structure of the future. For assessing the financial feasibility and viability of the future, the principles of valuation play a significant role in the job profile of the finance manager. Moreover, in case of mergers and acquisitions, the valuation principles are needed for the business with the available in-depth financial information of the company. Hence, it can be concluded that the valuation principles are of high importance to the financial manager in order to make decisions (Blackburn, 2001). Question 3: Describe How the Net Present Value Is Related To Cost-Benefit Analysis The distinction between the present value of cash inflows and cash outflows is known as the Net Present V

Blood Buffer Essay Example for Free

Blood Buffer Essay Objectives: After completing this exercise and reading the corresponding material in your text, you should be able to 1. Prepare a wet mount slide 2. Identify structures described in this lab on slides 3. Cite examples of the wide diversity of cell types 4. Relate differences in structure among cells to functional differences Introduction Structurally and functionally, all living things share one common feature: all living organisms are composed of cells. The development of this concept began with Robert Hookes seventeenth-century observation that slices of cork were made up of small units he called cells. † Over the next 100 years, the cell theory emerged. It was formally (and independently) presented by Schleiden and Schwann in 1839, and clarified by Virchow a few years later. This theory has three principles: (1) All organisms are composed of one or more cells. (2) All life processes derive from the activities of cells. (3) All cells arise from preexisting cells. Living organisms are composed of one or many cells, and every activity that occurs in a living organism is ultimately related to metabolic processes in cells. Understanding the processes of life requires an understanding of the structure and function of the cell. Although cells vary in organization, size, and function, all share certain structural features. All are enclosed within a plasma membrane, defining the boundary of the living material. All contain a region of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which forms the genetic code. Inside of the plasma membrane is watery cytoplasm, and the chemical processes inside the cell occur within this watery medium. Upon microscopic examination, we see there are two basic types of cells, prokaryotic and eukaryotic, see the table below to see a comparison of the two cell types. For these following exercise you should use the highest magnification possible, because you will be able to see more detail, and you should record your observations at this magnification. Always begin with the lower magnifications, once you have found your specimen center it and focus it before increasing the magnification. We will not be using the 100X objective because it requires special handling and immersion oil, so you should use the 40X objective for most observations. What is the total magnification of a sample view with the 40X objective? Remember there is a lens in the ocular that magnifies the image 10x, so the total magnification will be 40 x 10 = 400X. Exercise 1: Examining Prokaryotic cells 1. What types of organisms are prokaryotic? 2. What structures are found in a Eukaryotic cell that will not be visible in a Prokayotic cell? 3. Examine the specimens available at the back of the classroom. Locate a prokaryotic cell and bring it back to your microscope. Name of specimen: ____________________ 4. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch your specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. Exercise 2: Examining Eukaryotic cells The cells on which we focus most of our attention are relatively large and complex, although many details of their structure are only evident with electron microscopy. The word eukaryote derives from the visible nucleus found in most of these cells. No one cell will show all of the features that a cell might have, so you will be observing a variety of eukaryotic cells. Protist cells: The protist kingdom includes eukaryotic unicellular forms (e.g., protozoans, algae, slime molds) as well as some simple multicellular forms. Many are mobile; some are photosynthetic; others are animal-like, ingesting food particles, or fungi-like, secreting digestive chemicals into the environment. Protists are diverse, often having complex cells. 1. What structures do you expect to see in these cells that was not evident in the prokaryotes you saw? Cultures of mixed protists and/or pond water are available in lab. Many different forms may be found in these cultures, including amoebas, flagellates and ciliates. (Many classifications of protists are based on how they move – with flagella, or cilia, or neither of these.) 2. Examine the specimens available at the back of the classroom. Locate the cultures of protist cells. You will examine two separate cultures. One of the cultures you’ll examine is the â€Å"Mixed Pond Protists,† you can pick which specimen you’ll examine for your second sample from the other cultures present in class. Make a wet mount of each culture, drawing material from the debris at the bottom of the culture jar. Name of specimen #1: Mixed Pond Protists Name of specimen #2: ____________________ 3. Observe first with scanning power (4X objective), looking for movement. If you don’t see anything, wash the material back into the jar and get another drop. Once you have located organisms, observe on higher power (40X objective). If the protists are moving very rapidly, they may swim out of the field of view. In this case, remove the coverslip and add a small drop of Detain. Detain is a thick solution that will help slow down the protists. REMEMBER THAT THE MICROSCOPE LIGHT IS HOT. Turn it off when you are not looking at the slide. 4. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 5. What evidence do you see that protists are eukaryotes? 6. Attempt to identify the protists you have observed. There are several keys to protists available. Your instructor can help you use the keys if you’re not familiar with how they work. Write the name of your protists and your rationale for identification based on the characteristics in the key into your notes. When you have finished looking at your slide, place the slide in the bleach water. Plant cells: Plant cells are different from animal cells in many ways. 1. Name three ways plant cells differ from animal cells below. As in animals, cells of plants are organized into tissues, aggregations of similar cells performing a common function in a multicellular organism. In this part of the lab, you will look at several types of plant cells. Onion epidermal cells: 1. Make a wet mount of a colorless scale of an onion bulb by peeling the thin, membranous layer from the inside of one of the bulb scales and placing it on a slide in a drop of water. This usually works best if you partially slice through a ring, allowing the thin layer of tissue on the inner surface of the leaf to be pulled off. Use forceps to arrange the tissue in a drop of Iodine on a slide and cover with a cover slip. 2. Observe your preparation with the microscope, focusing first with the scanning power objective. Continue your study, switching to the low power (10 X) and finally the high power objective (40 X). 3. What shape do most of these cells have? What structure maintains this shape? 4. What structure is stained by the iodine? 5. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 6. Which cellular components present in most leaf cells are absent from onion leaf cells? Elodea leaf cells: 1. Remove a single young leaf and prepare a wet mount. Examine the leaf first on scanning power, then on low power. 2. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 3. After the cells have warmed a bit from the light of the microscope, you may see cytoplasmic streaming. Microfilaments in the cytoplasm are thought to be responsible for this intracellular movement. What cellular structure do you see moving around the cytoplasm? Animal cells: Human epithelial (cheek) cells: 1. Using the broad end of a clean toothpick, gently scrape the inside of your cheek. Stir the scrapings into a drop of saline and a drop of Methylene Blue on a clean microscope slide and add a cover slip. Do not reuse your toothpick. DO NOT PUT IT BACK WITH THE CLEAN TOOTHPICKS AND DON’T LAY IT ON THE TABLE. Discard it in the BIOHAZARD bag. 2. Because the cells are almost transparent, decrease the amount of light entering the objective lens to increase the contrast. Find the cells using the low power objective of your microscope, then switch to the high power objective for detailed study. Find the nucleus of a cell. Many of the cells will be folded or wrinkled due to their thin, flexible nature. 3. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 4. Dark specs on the cells are bacteria, similar to the E. coli you looked at earlier. How big are these bacterial cells relative to your cheek cells? Discard this slide into the bowl containing the bleach water. Sheep’s blood (wet mount): Blood consists of two parts a liquid portion (water + proteins) called plasma, and a cellular portion, containing many different cell types, including erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs), and leukocytes or white blood cells (WBCs). Red blood cells are red because they contain a lot of the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin. The blood sample we have has been treated chemically to prevent clotting. 1. Prepare a wet mount by placing a drop of saline and a small drop of blood on the slide. Add a cover slip. Examine a portion of the slide in which the blood is diluted. 2. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 3. What is missing from these cells that is found in eukaryotic cells? 4. How do the red blood cells compare to your cheek cells in size? What shapes are the cells? Discard this slide into the bowl containing the bleach water. Cells Review Questions Your answers should be specific and to the level of the lecture, book and lab manual. You may need to use outside sources. 1. What characteristics do all cells have in common? 2. What characteristics are common to all eukaryotic cells but not found in prokaryotic cells? 3. Would you expect that all the living cells you saw in lab contain mitochondria? Explain. 4. Did all living plant cells you observed contain chloroplasts? Explain. 5. Describe as many differences as you can between plant and animal cells at a cellular level. Do any of these differences relate to the organismic differences we see between plants and animals? Explain. 6. How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells compare in size? 7. How would you compare a protist cell to a cell from your body, a cheek cell for example, in terms of complexity at the cellular level?