Purpose: TO examine how staining cells allows more details to be viewed under a

light microscrope.
Hypothesis: If I stain the my cheek cells with methylene blue stain, I will be a
ble to easily view the outlining structure of the cells through a microscope.
Materials: Toopthpicks, methylene blue stain, slides and cover slips, microscope
, kimwipes, my own cheek cells.
Prodcedure: See Handout
Data/ Observations:

(picture)

Analysis:
1. What obvious benefits were derived from staining the cells with methy
lene blue?
The obviouse benefits of staining the cells with methylene blue
is that you can easily view the cells and their nucleus
through the microscope. It also allowed me to see some contast a
nd difference in certain areas of the cells since some
areas were stained darker than others. Without the stain, the ce
lls would be colorless and virtually impossible to view
under the miscroscope. Lastly, I was aslo able to view the outli
ne of the cell clearly with the stain.
Conclusion: What did dyou learn from this lab investigation?
From this lab investigation, I learned that cells greatly vary i
n shapes and sizes. Some cells were oblong and skinny
while others were rounder. Also, I realized that different parts
of the cells responded to the die in different ways,
which I believe is the result of different textures/ characteris
tics between different regions of the cell.