LGP26-B3: Day 2
Jun 02, 2026 • 5:46 PM UTC
India
140x Magnification
Plants
Chhaya Yadav
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On day two, we observed the potato peel and its flesh. Other than observation, the best part of this activity is that it lets us imagine every possible image of the magnified sample and then when you observe it, the real result blows your mind.
Preparing the samples:
Potato Rind: Peel a thin rind from the potato and mount it on the slide. Ensure that there is almost no flesh and the rind is as thin as possible. Tape the final sample.
Potato Flesh: Take a little flesh from a potato sample and put it on the slide. Smash the flesh and remove the debris. The leftover juice is only needed. Tape the final sample.
Observation of the Potato Rind:
At 50x: It looked a bit creamish-brownish. Densely packed hexagonal cells were visible. We could even see the thick cell walls which connected each cell.
At 140x: The structure became more detailed. It looked like wrinkled skin with pigments with different shades of brown. The brown lines connected the cells and made a protective structure around the cell. Interlocked hexagonal blocks were still visible.
At 340x: Its image wasn’t clear, making it difficult to observe any details. It wasn’t clearly visible.
Observation of the Potato Sample:
At 50x: The inner tissue looked very different from the peel. Many translucent round starch bubbles were visible. It had a watery texture and it was loosely packed. It was unorganized.
At 140x: The bubble-like structure became magnified. There were many smaller watery bubbles. It made the sample look porous.
At 340x: The image was again not that clear for any observation to be made. But still some dark patches were visible.
What I learned:
The observations highlighted how different parts of the same thing can have different microscopic structures. Potatoes, a simple vegetable found in every kitchen, can become a specimen for our learning. This tells us how the most familiar things can also become extraordinary when viewed from a different perspective.
Preparing the samples:
Potato Rind: Peel a thin rind from the potato and mount it on the slide. Ensure that there is almost no flesh and the rind is as thin as possible. Tape the final sample.
Potato Flesh: Take a little flesh from a potato sample and put it on the slide. Smash the flesh and remove the debris. The leftover juice is only needed. Tape the final sample.
Observation of the Potato Rind:
At 50x: It looked a bit creamish-brownish. Densely packed hexagonal cells were visible. We could even see the thick cell walls which connected each cell.
At 140x: The structure became more detailed. It looked like wrinkled skin with pigments with different shades of brown. The brown lines connected the cells and made a protective structure around the cell. Interlocked hexagonal blocks were still visible.
At 340x: Its image wasn’t clear, making it difficult to observe any details. It wasn’t clearly visible.
Observation of the Potato Sample:
At 50x: The inner tissue looked very different from the peel. Many translucent round starch bubbles were visible. It had a watery texture and it was loosely packed. It was unorganized.
At 140x: The bubble-like structure became magnified. There were many smaller watery bubbles. It made the sample look porous.
At 340x: The image was again not that clear for any observation to be made. But still some dark patches were visible.
What I learned:
The observations highlighted how different parts of the same thing can have different microscopic structures. Potatoes, a simple vegetable found in every kitchen, can become a specimen for our learning. This tells us how the most familiar things can also become extraordinary when viewed from a different perspective.
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