what is the most obvious difference between the Elodea cell and the onion cell?

Question

and what does that difference tell you of the activity of food production in the onion cell?

Answer 1

The most obvious difference? CHLOROPLASTS in elodea. This means elodea captures light and make their own food. Onion cells grow underground, so they don't have chroloplasts. This means that the nutrients (food) these cells need come form the top (green) part of the plant. The onion is basically a food storage for the plant.

Answer 2

Elodea Cell

Answer 3

Onion epidermal cells are larger and in a single layer. The cytoplasm is colorless with strands of cytoplasm running through the large central vacuole. If contrast is adjusted properly, particles can be seen moving through the cytoplasm due to cyclosis. The nucleus is clearly visible. Elodea leaf cells are in two layers with one layer longer and narrow. The other layer the cells are shorter and wider. Numerous chloroplasts can be seen along the walls of the cell and often cover the nucleus completely. Chloroplasts can often be seen moving around the cell due to cyclosis. The central vacuole is smaller than those of the onion epidermis.

Answer 4

Cells of elodea leaves are known for their vivid exhibition of cyclosis, or cytoplasmic streaming.Cyclosis is the circulation or streaming of the cytoplasm within some living cells. In plant cells, chloroplasts may be moved around with the stream. The rate of motion is usually affected by light exposure, temperature, and pH levels.

Onions are frequently used in school science laboratories because they have particularly large cells which are easily visible even through rather low-end optical microscopes.