Why is hydrochloric acid used in root tip squash?

Fixed root tips can be stored for at least two weeks prior to staining. Treatment with acid and heat is used to break up the cellulose cell wall allowing stain to permeate the tissue and makes it easier to squash the tissue on a microscope slide.Click to see full answer. People also ask, why are the root tips placed in hydrochloric acid?1. The root tip is heated with acid to break up the tissues into individual cells. The cellulose walls of plant cells are held together by pectins such as calcium pectate. Treatment with hydrochloric acid breaks this down. why do you squash the root tip? Mitosis in Onion Root Tip The genetic information of all organisms resides in the individual DNA molecules or chromosomes. The onion root tips can be prepared and squashed in a way that allows them to be flattened on a microscopic slide, so that the chromosomes of individual cells can be observed easily. Similarly, you may ask, why HCL is used in mitosis experiment? 4 – the purpose of the hydrochloric acid is to destroy the substances that unite the cells (usually pectin), but it does not destroy the cell walls. The hydrochloric acid also has the ability to kill the cells and halt the process of mitosis.What is the purpose of soaking the root tip with hydrochloric acid for five minutes?The hydrochloric acid kills the cells and breaks down the cell walls and membranes allowing the stain to reach the chromosomes. After five minutes, use the cocktail stick to carefully remove the garlic clove from the acid, and gently rinse the roots in tap water.