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2.2.2: Cheek Smear Activity

OER - BIOL 2420 Laboratory Manual · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    In this activity you will prepare a cheek smear sample for visualization. You will be obtaining your own cheek cells for this sample.

    Follow the procedure below to prepare and stain a cheek smear.

    1. Obtain one microscope slide, clean and dry the microscope slide using lens cleaner and Kim Wipes
    2. Place a drop of isotonic saline solution on the clean, dry microscope slide
    3. Using the end of a toothpick, scrape the inner surface of the cheek
    4. Mount the scraping in the drop of saline solution by spreading the toothpick back and forth through the saline solution, spreading the saline solution out into a thin, even smear on the microscope slide
    5. Allow the slide to air dry
    6. Pass the air-dried smear, smear side up, through the flame of a Bunsen burner two or three times to heat fix the smear
    7. Cover the smear with methylene blue stain for 1 minute
    8. Rinse the stain from the slide using DI water
    9. Blot the slide using blotting paper

    Smear Visualization:

    Obtain your assigned microscope. You will visualize your sample using a Total magnification of 400x. Use colored pencils to depict your observations in the space below. Label the components of your eu- karyotic cheek cell that can be distinguished. Label bacterial cells.

    Blank specimen circle for drawing cheek smear observations.

    This page titled 2.2.2: Cheek Smear Activity was last modified on Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:43:00 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sherry Smith.