Cheek cells are fairly easy to observe, simply take a flat toothpick and rub it on the inside of the cheek. Swirl the toothpick in a drop of methylene blue on a microscope slide. Place a coverslip on the slide and view with a light microscope. Cells from the cheek are a type of epithelial cell, similar to skin.
The inner lining of the mouth is composed of the basal mucosa which has the squamous epithelial cells. These cheek cells replicate every day and the dead cells are shed from the body. The cheek cells were stained with methylene blue for 2 minutes and mounted with glycerol.
