Does a cheek cell have a nucleus?

The cheek cell has a nucleus and also contains cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and lysosomes. In a biology lab, students may look at or study a cheek cell under a light microscope.

When viewed under a light microscope, students will see the cell membrane and nucleus after the cheek cell is stained with methylene blue. However, organelle found in the cytoplasm like the mitochondria or lysosomes are not visible because the microscope is not powerful enough. A cheek cell is about 35 micrometers in size, while the nucleus is 4 micrometers. Cheek cells are made up of squamous epithelial cells and will be scale-like in appearance when studied with a microscope.