Okay, let's craft a lab report on the observation of animal cells under a microscope, written in

the passive voice. We'll focus on the common example of cheek cells.

Title: Microscopic Observation of Human Cheek Cells

I. Introduction:

• The objective of this experiment was to observe and document the structural characteristics
of animal cells using a compound microscope. The specific type of animal cells that were
chosen were human epithelial cells, collected from the cheek. Compound microscopes are
utilized to examine microscopic structures that are not visible with the naked eye. It was
hypothesized that individual cells would be observed, along with cellular components, when
viewed under the compound microscope.

II. Materials and Methods:

• Materials:

• Compound microscope

• Clean glass microscope slides

• Cover slips

• Sterile cotton swabs

• Methylene blue stain

• Distilled water

• Microscope light source

• Procedure:

• A clean glass microscope slide was obtained and labelled.

• The inner cheek was gently swabbed with a sterile cotton swab.

• The cotton swab was then gently rubbed on the slide surface to transfer the cells.
 • A drop of methylene blue stain was placed onto the cells on the slide.

• A cover slip was lowered gently onto the slide over the stain and cells to prevent air bubbles.

• The prepared slide was placed on the microscope stage.

• The 4x objective lens was rotated into place. The specimen was focused using the coarse
adjustment knob, followed by the fine adjustment knob.

• The cells were observed and then the objective lens was rotated to 10x, followed by 40x.
The focus was adjusted using the fine adjustment knob only.

• Observations were recorded at each magnification.

III. Results:

• Observations at 4x Magnification:

• At 4x magnification, individual cells were observed as small, slightly opaque, roundish

• The cells were scattered across the field of view, not highly concentrated, and with the
cytoplasm and nucleus distinguished only vaguely.

• The cells were viewed as generally colourless, with slight hint of blue from the stain.

• The edges of individual cells were detected as relatively defined, and cellular components
were not easily identified.

• The overall impression was recorded as a low level of detail, but individual cells could be
discerned.

• Observations at 10x Magnification:

• At 10x magnification, the cells were observed as larger, taking up more of the field of view.

• The overall appearance of the cell was revealed as more clearly defined, and cytoplasm was
able to be viewed as a somewhat granular area of the cell.

• Individual cells were discerned as more detailed and the borders of the cell were identified
as having a thin outline.

• The cell nucleus was also identified as a more darkly stained structure within the cytoplasm
of some of the cells.

* The edges of the cells were noted as still slightly transparent but better defined.

• Observations at 40x Magnification:

• At 40x magnification, individual cells were observed in much greater detail, with the
cytoplasm and nuclei more prominent.

• The round or oval shape of the cells were noted, with an obvious nucleus stained with the
blue dye.

• The detailed internal structure of the cell was identified with greater clarity.

• The cell membrane was able to be seen clearly with the cytoplasm enclosed.

• The nucleus was noted as the darkly stained structure in the center of each cell.

• The edges of the cell were viewed as distinct.

• (Sketches/Photos would be added here, if applicable)

IV. Discussion:

• Individual cheek cells were observed and their structures

were distinguished at different magnifications. At lower magnifications, the individual cells

• Potential sources of error included variations in the swabbing process, which could have
resulted in a sparse or dense sample. Air bubbles under the coverslip may have interfered with
viewing at high magnification. Also, improper staining techniques could have affected the
contrast and visibility of cellular details.

• (Optional) Future improvements could include a more precise method of cell sampling or
preparation, and/or a greater experience in preparing slides.

• Learning to observe animal cells under the microscope is essential for understanding their
structure and function, and this is vital in cellular biology studies.

V. Conclusion:

• The experiment was successful in demonstrating the basic structure of human cheek cells
using a compound microscope. The ability to observe the cells and cellular components at
different magnifications was achieved, fulfilling the objective of the experiment. The
observation of the cheek cells at different magnifications allowed visualization of cell size,
shape, and key structures. The hypothesis that cell structure would be able to be observed
under the microscope was supported.

Okay, let's address the reference for the animal cell observation experiment, specifically in
APA citation style. As with the previous experiment, remember that:

This is typically an instructional lab exercise, not original research, so a standard reference to a
research article is not appropriate.

You'll most likely be citing a lab manual, textbook, or lab instruction sheet. Here are a few
scenarios with APA citation examples:

Scenario 1: Citing a Lab Manual (Most Common)

If you are using a specific lab manual, this is what you would cite. The format for a book (like a
lab manual) is:

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of lab manual (Edition, if applicable). Publisher.

Miller, L. R., & Davis, S. T. (2022). Cell Biology Laboratory Manual (3rd ed.). Academic Press.

In-text citation: (Miller & Davis, 2022) or Miller and Davis (2022)

Scenario 2: Citing a Textbook (if the procedure was described there)

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the textbook (Edition, if applicable). Publisher.

Example:

Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Morgan, D., Raff, M., Roberts, K., & Walter, P. (2022).
Molecular biology of the cell (7th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

In-text citation: (Alberts et al., 2022) or Alberts et al. (2022)

Scenario 3: Citing Lab Instructions (Handout or Online Document)

If you're referencing a specific handout or online document provided by your instructor, here's
the format you might use:

Format (Handout):
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of document. Department or Institution (if applicable).

Example (Handout):

University Department of Biology. (2023). Observation of Animal Cells Using the Microscope.
Biology 101 Lab Handout.

Format (Online Document):

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of document. Source (website or document title, if available). URL

Example (Online Document):

University Department of Biology. (2023). Observation of Animal Cells Using the Microscope.
[Website Name If Available]. https://www.examplewebsite.com/cell-observation-lab

In-text citation: (University Department of Biology, 2023)

Key Things to Keep in Mind:

• Author: If it’s an institution or department, use that as the "author."

• Year: Always note the year of publication or creation.

• Italics: The titles of books, journals, and websites are italicized. The titles of articles,
handouts, or lab procedures are not italicized.

• URL: If it’s a document online, include the full URL.

• Hanging Indent: In your reference list, the second and following lines should be indented, like
in the example above.
• Use et al. if more than 2 authors: If citing a source with more than two authors, include only
the first author followed by "et al." in your in-text citation.

Why is Citation Important for This Lab?

Even though this isn't a research paper, it’s still important to cite your sources because it is a
good scientific habit to develop:

• Transparency: It shows where your knowledge or method originates.

• Academic Integrity: It avoids plagiarism.

• Professionalism: It demonstrates proper scientific practices, and also that you understand
how to reference sources correctly.

Example of References Section (Using a Lab Manual):

Let's say you used a lab manual with these details:

Reference List:

Miller, L. R., & Davis, S. T. (2022). Cell Biology Laboratory Manual (3rd ed.). Academic Press.

In-text Citation:

• (Miller & Davis, 2022) or Miller and Davis (2022)

Use the specific information from the resources that you used for your lab and follow the rules
of APA style carefully.