Alternative stain
Goal
Visualize cell nuclei in eukaryote cells.
Materials
- Gas burner
- 95% alcohol
- Food colouring (red works best)
- Tap water
- Bucket or beaker glass
- Blotting paper (alternatively: Tork roll or toilet paper)
- Clear nail polish
- Acetone
- Cotton swab
Method
- Prepare a drop of sample on your microscope slide according to our Method
- Air dry the sample for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Soak the cells in a drop of 95% alcohol to dehydrate the cells
- Air dry the sample for 5 to 10 minutes, make sure all the alcohol is evaporated
- Fixate the cells by quickly moving the object glass through a flame.
- Let the sample cool down.
- Add a droplet of food colouring to the glass slide for about 60 seconds.
- Remove excess stain by bathing / dipping your glass slide into a beaker glass / bucket with tap water.
- Remove excess water using blotting paper.
- Let the slide air dry to get rid of the remaining water.
- Put 2 drops of clear nail polish onto the sample.
- Cover the sample with a cover slide.
- Try to get rid of air bubbles by putting light pressure on the cover slide.
- Remove excess nail polish with a cotton swab with acetone.
- Take a look at the sample through the microscope with the diaphragm fully open.
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