What differences can one see between an onion cell and a cheek cell?
The onion cell has a cell wall and large, central vacuole. Neither would be seen in the cheek cell. Because of the large central vacuole the cytoplasm of the onion cell would be pressed into a thin layer right under the cell wall. The onion cell would not have chloroplasts as suggested in a previous posting. It may, however, have starch grains that are in so-called amyloplasts. The starch grains would stain blue with IKI solution.
