OBJECTIVES: Student will be able to:

1. use the microscope efficiently;
2. identify normal and sickled red blood cells;
3. hypothesize at least four possible health complications of an affected individual due to the irregular formation of the red blood cells.

PROBLEM:

To determine if all blood samples are the same when observed under the microscope.

PROCEDURE:

1. Obtain several prepared slides of both normal red blood cells and those red blood cells representative of sickle cell anemia.
2. Set up the microscope and begin observations on the low power objective lens, continue by changing the power of the objective lens.
3. Begin with the normal blood cells making a sketch and recording observations about the cells.
4. Repeat step three using the slides of the sickled blood cells.

   materials

5. light microscope
6. prepared slides

QUESTIONS

Describe the physical differences observed between the normal red blood cells and the sickled red blood cells. See figure 2 for an enlargement:

Knowing that capillaries are microscopic and that red blood cells pass through them one behind the other, what complications can be infered as to movement of the sickled red blood cells through the capillaries?

Describe the other blood cell types available on the slide: normal human blood

a) neutrophil

 

b) monocyte/macrophage

 

 

c) lymphocyte

 

 

Introduction	Vocabulary	Micro-activity	Genetics activity
Punnett sq.	Punnett Sq. Illus.	Example of Pedigree	Assessment