How do you identify vacuole from a microscopic image of plant cells?

Since it is likely to be mixed up with cytoplasm.

1 Answer
Jan 4, 2018

To identify a vacoule in a plant cell search for the most bigger cell structure beacuse they usualy occupy up to 90% of the cell volume.#-># See picture 2. in explanation!
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Explanation:

A vacuole (lat. vacuus: empty) is a membrane bounded space in cytoplasm; filled with liquid. In a plant cell the vacuole is filled with cellular juices, which dissolve various organic and inorganic substances. In young cells, such vacuoles are smaller and there are represented in great numbers. Then they grow and slice one to another, so in older cells there is often only one large vacuole in the center of the cell that is separated from the surrounding cytoplasm by membranes.#-># Picture 1.

rachithscellanalogy.weebly.com Picture 1.

https://www.google.hr/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiv6MeEt7_YAhVKb1AKHSdhDwsQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebiologyprimer.com%2Fcell%2F&psig=AOvVaw1gElhYwn-9-r-_zF47SSle&ust=1515193769860113
Picture 2. 90% of this cell consists of vacuole

An another way you can use to determine the vacuole is to look at the cells during the osmosis.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_09K0lSeb8oQ/TNbiEuEIaeI/AAAAAAAAAJM/r3cuZRnTRN8/s400/plazmoliza.png
Picture 3. Vacuole can be reduced or increased depending on environmental conditions.

If you see some purple pigment on your microscopic picture then this is also a vacuole. This purple color is a pigment called anthocyanin.
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Picture 4. This leaf contains no green color. The whole chlorophyll is disintegrated and the plant began to synthesize the purple pigment.