In the experimental labster simulation, kidney cells were treated with a chemical for different amounts of time. The number of dead cells were counted to determine the effects of the chemical. The cells treated with dye will look pink under the microscope if the treatment caused damage. A group of Cells was treated with the dye only and none of the cells were pink under the microscope. After treating the same cells with the chemical and then the dyel, half of the cells looked pink under the microscope.

If a negative control was set up for this experiment, what would the cells look like in this control sample?

A.
similar to the cells treated with the chemical - 50% dead

B.
similar to the cells just treated with the dye - 0% dead

C.
100% would be pink

D.
any of the above options

According to this question, an experiment was set up in which kidney cells were treated with a chemical for different amounts of time. Hence, the independent/manipulable variable is the CHEMICAL.

Based on the observation of the group of cells, a cell that has been damaged by the chemical will appear pink when treated with dye while a cell treated with only due but no chemical will not appear pink.

A NEGATIVE CONTROL is the group in an experiment that is not treated with the independent variable i.e. doesn't receive experimental treatment. Since the independent variable in this experiment is the CHEMICAL, the negative control will be the group that doesn't receive the chemical treatment. Hence, the negative control is similar to the cells just treated with the dye - 0% dead