Mushroom Dissection Lab
Purpose: To observe the parts of a typical mushroom
Mushroom Forceps/Fingers Microscope Slide Dissection Microscope
Paper Towels Lab Sheet Light Microscope
1.) Obtain a mushroom. On the back of this sheet, (a) draw a diagram of the mushroom you see. Label the cap, stipe, and gills.
2.) Grasp the cap firmly with one hand and the stipe with the other. Gently wiggle and/or twist the stipe until it breaks away from the cap.
3.) Peel away some strips from the stipe (like string cheese). The thin, hair-like filaments are called hyphae. Put this under the dissection scope. (b) Examine them and describe them on the back of this sheet
4.) Next, look under the cap and observe the gills. (c) Draw what the underside of the cap/gills look like on the back of this sheet.
5.) Using your finger or forceps, peel away a gill. Make a wet mount slide of the gill and examine it under high power on the compound light microscope. Look for spores. (d) Describe what you see on the back of this sheet
6.) After you are done, clean off your slide and place it back in the box where you found it. Throw mushroom pieces away and properly put away microscopes.
7.) Put answers to questions and a-d above on the back
1.) What phylum does the mushroom Agaricus that you just looked at probably belong to?
2.) How do fungi reproduce?
3.) Where are the roots of the mushroom? (hint: trick)