The colour of cheek cells depends on whether they are stained or unstained.
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Unstained Cheek Cells: Under a microscope, unstained cheek cells appear relatively translucent or clear, with very little inherent colour. They are difficult to observe clearly without staining.
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Stained Cheek Cells: To make cheek cells more visible under a microscope, a stain is typically used.
- According to the provided reference, methylene blue is often used to stain cheek cells. When stained with methylene blue, cheek cells appear blue.
- Other stains may result in different colours.
Therefore, the colour of cheek cells is generally clear or translucent unless a stain is applied, in which case they will take on the colour of the stain used (e.g., blue when stained with methylene blue).
