4. Measure the dimensions of and calculate an estimate for the volume of a human cheek cell.
• If you're using a microscope with a camera, such as the Swift Digital Microscope, take a picture of the human cheek cell
using the microscope camera.
• Using the measurement tools, measure and record the approximate diameter and area of at least 10 cheek cells.
• Calculate and record an average diameter and average area for a cheek cell.
average diameter = diameter 1 + diameter 2 + ... + diameter n
number of cells
• Check the Measure Table, comparing your calculations to the calculations of the software.
• Human cheek cells are flat, floppy cells. For area calculation purposes, they can be considered to be thin cylinders,
about 10 microns high. Calculate the approximate volume of a human cheek cell.
approximate average volume = 2πrh = πdh = π x average diameter x average height
• Record the average diameter, area, and volume of a human cheek cell on your drawn picture(s).
Comparing and Contrasting:
5. Compare and contrast the structure of the human cheek (animal) cells to that of the Elodea (plant) cells.
• Based on what you can see using the microscope, how are the cells similar? How are they different? How do their sizes compare?
What structures do they share? What structures are unique to each?
• Using your textbook or other references, summarize the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells.
Animals—Human Cheek Cells
(student activity sheet con't)
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