Name ___________________________________________ Class Period _____ IB ____

The Human Cheek Cell

Purpose:

Observe and identify major cell structures and to relate the structure of the cell to its function.

Materials:

toothpick slide microscope

iodine stain cover slip your cheek cell(s)

Procedure:

1. Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with the flat side of a toothpick.

2. Rub the toothpick on a clean slide.

3. Add a small drop of iodine and cover with a cover slip.

4. Observe the cells on low power. Find the grouping of cells with the coarse adjustment knob.
Draw your cells at the lowest power. ONLY use the coarse adjustment knob on low power!

5. Switch to medium power and refocus using the fine adjustment knob. Draw your cells.

6. Switch to high power and refocus. Draw the cell. Label the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell
membrane. Draw your cells to scale.

Low Medium High

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Total Magnification Total Magnification Total Magnification
 Inquiry Questions:
1.Why is iodine necessary?

2. The light microscope used in the lab is not powerful enough to view other organelles in the
cheek cell. What parts of the cell were visible?

3. List and describe 2 organelles that were NOT visible but should have been in the cheek cell.

4. How do you know that a check cell is an animal cell? What structures are present/absent?

5. You find a cell that has 2 nuclei inside. What process is the cell undergoing?

6. What organelle do you think muscle cells need? Explain why muscle would need many of
these organelles based on the job of this organelle.

7. The mouth is part of our digestive system. It would make sense then, that we would have
more of the digestive organelles in our cheek cells. What is the digestive organelle in the cell?

8. Write a short description of each of the following:

● cell membrane

● cytoplasm

● nucleus

● organelle