Under the microscope.

[yikai]

So i just got a new microscope which allows maximum 400x magnification.

Use it almost every week in school but never had the chance to use it for my own fun.

so decided to take it for a little spin.

i examined 3 specimens under the microscope.

Bryopsis, Xenia and a clipping from my fish's tail.

[yikai]

Here's the first subject.

Bryopsis.

This shot was taken under 100x magnification. I'm afraid without paraffin oil, i'm un-able to go to 400x magnification. A drop of paraffin oil is needed for 400x magnification so that the glass slide and the microscope lens is in contact with the oil, which prevents refraction of the surrounding light.

anyway i don't have the oil and cooking oil won't work.

so here's bryopsis under 100x magnification.

The little green circles are actually chlorophyll inside the bryopsis's cell. the slide isn't properly made so the cell wall and other parts of the cell is not visible.

withh 400x magnification, the individual chloroplast pigments within the chlorophyll will be visibile.

unfortunately i cannot produce that. time to hunt for some paraffin oil.

[yikai]

Here's a "petal" of xenia under 100x magnification.

You can see the feather like appendages found on the arms of the xenia's polyps.

each little tiny brown circle within the cells of the xenia contain zooxanthellae.

without 400x magnification, this is as far as i can go.

[yikai]

And the last one is the clipping of my fish's tail.

Don't worry, the fish is not harmed. a small cut is made at the outer edge of the tail and it will regenerate very quickly and the fish is not hurt.

This fin clipping belongs to Cirrhilabrus marjorie, the Marjorie's fairy wrasse.

You can see the bamboo like structures? Those are the rays of the fins and are covered by skin. the red spots all over are the red pigments that give the tail of the fish a reddish colour.

This is the outer end of the tail which is lighter in colour. Should i cut deeper, the red colour will intensify as the number of pigments increase. and the bony rays will get thicker and bigger.

this is taken under 100x magnification too.

[yikai]

that's all for now!

any requests? what should i look at next?

bear in mind anything transparent like ich, flukes and other parasites need to be stained with methylene blue which i do not have.

and too fine details under 400x is un-doable until i source for paraffin oil.

[AloysiusMun]

Ask from your Lab technician in school. Bring a small bottle along. I am sure they wouldn't mind.

[peacemaker]

Having fun with the microscope? I took a photo of a nudi once under 3x magnification.

[yikai]

Ask from your Lab technician in school. Bring a small bottle along. I am sure they wouldn't mind.

no use lah. paraffin oil is kept in a little vial with a dropper. like those iodine supplements we use for our reefs.

how much can i take from her?

will be better if i just bought my own. so i can use it at home.

Having fun with the microscope? I took a photo of a nudi once under 3x magnification.

haha.

microscope is so mundane when all i look at is bacteria. this time it's fun.

oh nudi! how interesting. maybe i shall look at a nudi too. or a copepod perhaps.

[Eniram]

Wow hey lemon fantastic shots!

[Eniram]

How about a slice of sps tissues?

[yikai]

Wow hey lemon fantastic shots!

fantastic?

this consider fail leh LOL.

no lah very difficult coz have to aim my camera through the tiny eye piece....

and quite blur.

next time i do better. i try scale scrapings and anemone's tentacle.

[yikai]

How about a slice of sps tissues?

hmm...

good idea.

the best slides will be a very thin film, thin enough for all the light to pass through.

but how does one acquire a thin slice of SPS tissue?

[CFOh]

Ask from your Lab technician in school. Bring a small bottle along. I am sure they wouldn't mind.

Ya, may be can bring some specimen to your school lab, take some pics under SEM.. You will see totally different world...

phytoplankton

Good start

Edited November 24, 2010 by CFOh
amend spelling

[yikai]

Ya, may be can bring some specimen to your school lab, take some pics under SEM.. You will see totally different world...

phytoplankton

Good start

SEM and TEM are very difficult to use.

requires electron bombardment on the organism and very laychey and difficult!! i'm not trained in using SEM and TEM.

most importantly, do you know how big a TEM/SEM is?

it's as big as a room. from the floor to ceiling. and some are even bigger.

[AloysiusMun]

SEM and TEM not easy to use. Especially the preparation of the sample. Need to use a microtome. I only used the SEM once in Singapore Polytechnic and I did not even prepare the sample. All I did was to photograph and play with the SEM. Super complex to use.

Usually they have spare bottles and I don't think its expensive. Depends on how close you are to your lab tech. Hahaha.

[yikai]

SEM and TEM not easy to use. Especially the preparation of the sample. Need to use a microtome. I only used the SEM once in Singapore Polytechnic and I did not even prepare the sample. All I did was to photograph and play with the SEM. Super complex to use.

Usually they have spare bottles and I don't think its expensive. Depends on how close you are to your lab tech. Hahaha.

there's many steps in sample preparation for sem and tem.

need to fix, dehydrate, preserve, micro/ultratome all this.

really not easy.

[CFOh]

SEM and TEM are very difficult to use.

requires electron bombardment on the organism and very laychey and difficult!! i'm not trained in using SEM and TEM.

most importantly, do you know how big a TEM/SEM is?

it's as big as a room. from the floor to ceiling. and some are even bigger.

Ya, u should take this good opportunity to utilizes them since FOC... if not next time.. outside lab charge $3xx to $5xx at least per hour...

[veliferium]

Ya, may be can bring some specimen to your school lab, take some pics under SEM.. You will see totally different world...

phytoplankton

Good start

this one totally owns.

[LaW]

And the last one is the clipping of my fish's tail.

Don't worry, the fish is not harmed. a small cut is made at the outer edge of the tail and it will regenerate very quickly and the fish is not hurt.

This fin clipping belongs to Cirrhilabrus marjorie, the Marjorie's fairy wrasse.

You can see the bamboo like structures? Those are the rays of the fins and are covered by skin. the red spots all over are the red pigments that give the tail of the fish a reddish colour.

This is the outer end of the tail which is lighter in colour. Should i cut deeper, the red colour will intensify as the number of pigments increase. and the bony rays will get thicker and bigger.

this is taken under 100x magnification too.

i like this!

more please!

i got 100% blue, let me know if you need.

[LaW]

SEM and TEM not easy to use. Especially the preparation of the sample. Need to use a microtome. I only used the SEM once in Singapore Polytechnic and I did not even prepare the sample. All I did was to photograph and play with the SEM. Super complex to use.

Usually they have spare bottles and I don't think its expensive. Depends on how close you are to your lab tech. Hahaha.

TEM and SEM are quite easy to use. but normally its too expensive an equipment for a student to mess around with. not even in my uni.

some of the samples that are published in a journal. the Main pic is the SEM, smaller one is TEM and the smallest is XRD.

nice huh? all were synthesized.

[AloysiusMun]

Cool stuff LaW!

[CFOh]

TEM and SEM are quite easy to use. but normally its too expensive an equipment for a student to mess around with. not even in my uni.

some of the samples that are published in a journal. the Main pic is the SEM, smaller one is TEM and the smallest is XRD.

nice huh? all were synthesized.

Agree, not difficult if compare to AFM/MRM.. Just treat it as advance high power scope after specimen sputter process done.... Not sure, I think may be different control for PHD research student.. I used to visit my colleague during her studies in NUS.. Just book the time and fill in the log book... done deal...

want to further studies

[Eniram]

hmm...

good idea.

the best slides will be a very thin film, thin enough for all the light to pass through.

but how does one acquire a thin slice of SPS tissue?

ok, why not use a scapal to slice thin cross section

[allantang]

O.O wow.. more pls.. algae? like how and what do they stick themselves to glass n rock with?

[CFOh]

Agree, not difficult if compare to AFM/MRM.. Just treat it as advance high power scope after specimen sputter process done.... Not sure, I think may be different control for PHD research student.. I used to visit my colleague during her studies in NUS.. Just book the time and fill in the log book... done deal...

want to further studies

The fun parts not only the pictures.. u can further analyze them via EDX to understand the components inside...