What precautions do you take while observing cheek cells?

Human Cheek Epithelial Cells. The tissue that lines the inside of the mouth is known as the basal mucosa and is composed of squamous epithelial cells. These structures, commonly thought of as cheek cells, divide approximately every 24 hours and are constantly shed from the body.

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 is therefore easy to obtain them for observation.

PRECAUTIONS to be taken are:

• Scrap the cheek cells gently with help of clean toothpick to avoid injury.

• Always rinse the mouth before scrapping the tissue so as to remove any food particles from mouth.

• Place cover slip gently to avoid entry of air bubbles.

• Remove extra glycerin with blotting paper.

• Spread the scrapings so that cells are properly distributed.

• Courteous part of microscope use is proper cleaning. The glass slides and cover slips should be cleaned and put away properly. The microscope itself should also be cleaned, so carefully remove any smudges from the lenses and wipe the stage down thoroughly.