Microscope World on Pinterest

Microscope World is now on Pinterest with a number of great educational boards including:

• Micrscopy images
• Science Activities using the Microscope
• Parts of the Microscope
• History of the Microscope
• Microscope Troubleshooting
• How to Microscope Info

Follow Microscope World on Pinterest for great info and updated microscopy info each week!

Citric Acid under Polarizing Microscope

The image below of Citric Acid was captured by Jan l'Amie in the Netherlands. Jan used the BYO-500T microscope, which is a University level trinocular Siedentopf microscope. He captured the image using a PL 10x objective lens with a polarizing filter. The Canon EOS 50D DSLR camera was connected to the microscope with a photo tube fitted with a 2.5x photo eyepiece.

Citric acid is a natural preservative that is present in citrus fruits. Citric acid is also used to add an acidic or sour taste to food or drink. Citric acid is known as a commodity chemical, as more than a million tons are produced every year by fermentation.

Thank you to Jan for sharing this amazing image with Microscope World. If you have any images you would like to share, please contact us.

Appendix under the Microscope

The appendix is part of the human digestive system and is a blind-ended tube connected to the pouch-like structure of the colon called the cecum. The human appendix is typically 9cm in length and about 7-8mm in diameter. It is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, near the hip bone.

Recent research by William Parker and Randy Bollinger from Duke University shows that the appendix may serve as a haven for useful and good bacteria, when illness flushes those same bacteria from the rest of the intestines. The condition appendicitis is simply an inflammation of the appendix.

The images below of the appendix were captured using the RB30 lab microscope and a high definition microscopy camera.

Appendix under the microscope at 40x magnification.

Appendix under the microscope at 100x magnification.

Appendix under the microscope at 400x magnification.

Appendix under the microscope at 40x magnification using a plan fluor objective.

5 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease (& Microscopy Images)

Coronary Atherosclerosis (also known as heart disease) is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and other parts of the body. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the organs and other parts of the body.

Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems including heart attack, stroke or even death. It can affect any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, arms, legs, pelvis and kidneys. As a result, different diseases may develop based on which arteries are affected.

There are five proven ways to prevent or reduce your risk of developing coronary atherosclerosis:

1. Exercise regularly
2. Eat a healthy diet
3. Moderate consumption of alcohol
4. Don't smoke, or quit smoking
5. Lose weight if you are overweight

The images below of coronary atherosclerosis were captured with the RB30 biological microscope. A high definition microscopy camera was used to capture the images to an SD card.

Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 40x.

Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 100x.

Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 400x.

Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 400x using a Plan Fluor Apochromat Objective.

What is a Compound Microscope?

By definition, a compound microscope is an optical microscope with two lenses. The two lenses in a compound microscope are the eyepiece lens and the objective lenses. These lenses make up the total magnification on the microscope. For example, if you are using a microscope with 10x eyepieces and the objective lenses are 4x, 10x and 40x, your microscope total magnification = 40x, 100x, 400x. This is the typical setup used in a high school compound microscope.

Another term for a compound microscope is a biological microscope or a high power microscope. When compound microscopes were first introduced they used a mirror to direct light up to the eyepiece. Today microscopes typically have a built-in light (usually LED because it is bright, the bulbs last a long time, and it is a cool light that will not damage living specimens).

The diagram below shows the popular HS-1M high school compound microscope and details some of the parts of the microscope.

If you have any questions about compound microscopes please contact Microscope World.

Tetanus Bacteria Under the Microscope

Clostridium Tetani is an anaerobic pathogenic bacterium that is primarily found in soil and animal intestinal tracts. As characteristic of all bacteria, C-Tetani is single-celled and does not contain any membrane-bound organelles, such as a nucleus. This bacterium is Gram-positive, which means that it lacks an outer lipopolysaccharide membrane and possesses only a thick peptidoglycan cellular wall. However, established vegetative bacterium occasionally stay Gram-negative, indicating a thin formation of the lipopolysaccharide membrane. This membrane is characteristically rod-shaped and flagellated in its vegetative state, and drum-like shaped in its spore form.

There are currently eleven identified strains of C-Tetani, and all are known to produce an identical neurotoxin called tetanospasmin. This potent toxin is the cause of the central nervous condition know as tetanus, which is commonly fatal unless treated.

The images of Clostridium Tetani below were captured using the RB30 biological lab microscope and a microscopy camera.

Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 40x.

Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 100x.

Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 400x.

Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 400x using a Plan Fluor Objective.

Kennel Cough Under the Microscope

Bordetella is also known as kennel cough or canine tracheo-bronchitis. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease among canines, and a high percentage of dogs all over the world suffer from it at least once during their lifetime. Young puppies usually suffer the most severe complications, since they have an under-developed immune system that is still strengthening. Also at an increased risk are the older dogs, whose immune system has weakened. Pregnant or nursing females have a lower immunity to infections and can be at a greater risk for Bordetella.

The symptoms found in dogs include a dry, hacking cough, retching and watery nasal discharge. The most common cause of kennel cough is the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. The images below of Bordetella Haemophilus Pertussis were captured using the Richter Optica U2 biological microscope and a high definition microscope camera.

Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 400x (plan fluor lens used).

Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 400x (Achromat lens used).

Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 100x (Achromat lens used).

Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 40x (Achromat lens used).

Ginger under Polarizing Microscope

Ground ginger (the same type of ginger powder you would use for baking) was placed under the RB40 polarizing microscope for viewing. Using polarizing filters and the 1st order red plate, the images below were captured with the HDCAM4 HD microscopy camera.

Ginger under a polarizing microscope at 100x magnification.

Ginger under a polarizing microscope at 100x magnification.

Ginger under a polarizing microscope at 100x magnification.