Question

Experimentation and field investigation) perform a lab activity to observe the nucleus in cheek cells and prepare a lab
report
Aim
Materials required
Procedure
Observation
Inference
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Answer 1

Answer:

Cheek Cells Under a Microscope

Requirements, Preparation and Staining

Cheek cells are eukaryotic cells (cells that contain a nucleus and other organelles within enclosed in a membrane) that are easily shed from the mouth lining. It's therefore easy to obtain them for observation.

Some of the main parts of a cell include:

1.  Cell membrane (outer boundary of the cell)

2.  Cytoplasm (the fluid within the cell)

3.  Nucleus (at the center of the cell and controls cell functions)

4.  Organelles (e.g. mitochondria-Organelles are cell structures with specific functions)

Using biological stains such as methylene blue, it's possible to clearly observe and differentiate the different parts of a cell. This is because the stain will color some parts of the cell and not others, allowing them to be clearly observed.

Requirements

Sterile cotton swab

Clean, sterile microscope slides

Microscope cover slips

Methylene Blue solution (0.5% to 1%)

Dropper

Blotting paper/Tissue paper

Microscope

How to Prepare a Wet Mount of Cheek Cells

Before starting, it's always important to ensure that the working surface is clean and that you are wearing a pair of clean gloves to avoid contamination.

Cheek cells can be easily obtained by gently scraping the inside of the mouth using a clean, sterile cotton swab.

Once the cells have been obtained, the following procedure is used for cheek cell wet mount preparation:

place a drop of physiological saline on a clean microscopic slide (central part of the slide)

smear the cotton swab on to the center (part containing the saline drop) of the clean slide for about 4 seconds to get the cells on to the center of the slide

add a drop of methylene blue solution on to the smear and gently place a cover slip on top (to cover the stain and the cells)

any excess solution can be removed by touching one side of the slide with a paper towel or blotting paper.

place the slide on the microscope for observation using 4 x or 10 x objective to find the cells

once the cells have been found, they can then be viewed at higher magnificatio

* Note - Used cotton swabs and cotton towel should be safely discarded in the trash and not left lying on the working table.

cheek cells stained with methylene blue

cheek cells stained with methylene

Explanation: