Observing Cellular Diversity Within a Single Organ Materials

Observing Cellular Diversity Within a Single Organ Materials for This Activity Compound light microscope Prepared Slide Adrenal gland Obtain a prepared microscope slide of the adrenal gland.* View this slide with your 10x and high-power (high-dry) objectives. Scan over the entire slide and look for cells that are of different shapes and sizes. How many different sized/shaped cells could you observe? Briefly describe the different cells you observed. Based upon what you have learned about cellular diversity, propose a hypothesis about the reasons for the different kinds of cells you observed in the adrenal gland. Use your textbook and at least one other source (medical dictionary, Mayo Clinic website, etc.) to check your hypothesis about adrenal gland cells, and summarize your findings below.

Solution

1.The different type of sized/shaped cells that could be observed are :

2.The different cells are present in different regions of the adrenal gland i.e cortex and medulla region

3.The different kinds of cells present in adrenal gland have been evolved and diversified to carry out distinct cellular functions that are required for proper regulation of our body.For example each of the distinct type of cells present in each layer of the cortex and medulla produce specific hormones with specific functions.None of the cells produce the same type of hormones thus showing cellular diversity.

4.The adrenal gland section under a compound microscope shows two regions of cortex and the medulla.Inside each of these regions, there are specific zones that contain specific cells and no cells have similar functions.The products of each of the cells in each of the regions are different with different functions as well.This shows the cellular diversity and cellular specialization of adrenal gland.