Fluorescence Microscopy as an Introduction to Cell Biology
Christopher Schonbaum
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2002, Volume 23
Abstract
In this exercise, students use fluorescence microscopy to look at organelles (mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum) and the cytoskeleton in PtK2 cells. In both cases, DNA stains allow students to observe changes in organelle and cytoskeleton morphology as the cell undergoes mitosis. In addition to revealing the cellular structures in a dramatic fashion, the exercise shows students that the distributions, sizes, and shapes of the structures are not always as they imagine them. Finally, observation of tobacco cells with green fluorescent protein (GFP) targeted to mitochondria demonstrates the use of GFP reporters for tracking cellular structures in living cells.
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