Question

How could you use a microscope to help determine whether a specimen is a living or nonliving thing

Answer 1

Using a microscope, one can determine if a specimen is living or nonliving by observing cellular activities with a light microscope, which may require non-lethal stains to view transparent cells without killing them. Signs of life, including cell division and organelle movement, will indicate a living specimen.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether a specimen is a living or nonliving thing using a microscope, one can look for the presence of cells and cellular activities that indicate life. Most student microscopes are light microscopes, which work by light passing through and being bent by the lens system to magnify the specimen. While light microscopes are great for viewing living organisms, the individual cells are usually transparent, making it difficult to see their components unless they are stained. However, this staining process typically kills the cells.

For living specimens, scientists might use non-lethal stains that allow them to view cellular activity without killing the specimen. These types of stains and dyes can highlight vital activities such as cell division, movement of organelles, or interactions between cells. Observing such activities under the microscope can provide clues about whether a specimen is alive.

Conversely, if a specimen does not display any signs of life, such as cellular movement or division, it may be considered nonliving. It's important to note that certain conditions such as the specimen's environment or the microscope's settings can affect the visibility of life processes. Therefore, multiple observations and possibly different staining techniques may be necessary for a conclusive determination.

Answer 2

Whether living or non living:
When you put a sample of tissue under a microscope, if u can see a cell membrane, and can identify some cell structures like nucleus, mitochondria, vacuoles etc. , it was living, if not, its a non living thing.

However some cells don't have a nucleus( eg. prokaryotic cells), but all cells have a cell membrane or some sort of protective covering to contain the cell's insides.

To check if your specimen maybe-once living, maybe-still living "something", is living, get a look at it through an electron microscope - thats the best microscope ever- and see if the mitochondria's making any ATP( adenosine triphosphate, source of energy for most organisms), if it does, its living. If not, non living. :)