Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household ManagementOntario. Department of Education
General
Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Management
Ontario. Department of Education
Cooking; Home economics
1. A framework, in cellular form, made of a substance called
_cellulose_.
2. Material filling the cells:
(1) A juice in the cells of all parts of plants
except seeds
(2) A solid in the cells of seeds.
To show the framework, some vegetable food having a white colour should
be chosen, such as potato, parsnip, or apple.
It must be explained that all plants are made of a framework of numerous
cells, something like a honey-comb. The cells in plants are of many
different shapes, according to the plant, or the part of the plant, in
which they are found. They are usually so small that they cannot be
distinguished without a microscope; but occasionally they are large
enough to be seen without one. Pass sections of orange or lemon, where
the cells are visible. Make a drawing on the black-board of the cellular
formation of a potato. Lead the class to understand that, in every case,
the cell walls must be broken to get out the cell contents. To
illustrate this, they may use potatoes, and break the cell walls by
grating the potatoes. After they have broken up the framework, the cell
contents should be strained through cheesecloth into a glass. They have
now two parts to examine--cell walls and cell contents.
[Illustration: Cellular structure of a potato]
Wash the framework to free it of any cell juice and study it first. Give
its name, and note its colour and texture. Compare the framework of
potatoes, strawberries, lettuce, trees, etc. Tell the class that in some
cases part of the cellulose is so fibrous that it is used to make
thread, cloth, or twine; for instance, _flax_ and _hemp_.
Cellulose is most difficult to dissolve, so that practically little of
it is digested. It serves a mechanical purpose in the digestive tract by
helping to fill the organs and dilute the real food. If fibrous, it acts
as an irritant and overcomes sluggishness of the intestines known as
constipation. The outer coats of cereals are an example of coarse
cellulose, as used in brown bread and some kinds of porridge.
Examine next the juice which was contained in the cells of the potato.
The liquid shows much water; the colour indicates mineral matter in
solution; the odour suggests a flavour; the white sediment is starch.
COMPOSITION OF POTATO JUICE
Water, mineral matter, flavouring matter, starch.
Draw attention to the fact that the potato is the part of the plant
which acts as a storehouse. In such parts, starch is always found as the
stored form of sugar; but, in parts which are not storehouses, sugar
will be found in its stead. In rare cases both are found, as in the
parsnip.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account