Bronze rot in a Carolingian disk fibula (800 AC) found near Maastricht

This disc fibula with animal motif is made of copper alloy and is inlaid with glass paste. The metal exhibits severe corrosion and is brittle. Saccharification has occurred in the glass paste and bronze rot is present. Bronze rot usually is

How important is the correct identification of the different blood cell types?

The blood forming cells can follow different development pathways, called ‘cell lines’. The main examples are Myeloid, Erythroid and Lymphoid. For example the first cell of the myeloid series is the Myeloblast (Blast cell), and as these cells develop and divide they differentiate into the distinct functional myeloid cells such as Neutrophils, Eosinophils and Basophils. Other mature cells such as Monocytes, Lymphocytes and Red cells come from the other cell lines.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in

Pollen give honey its fingerprint

Bees collect pollen from flowers and trees. They carry them along as yellow balls at their legs. The granules (also known as pollen) are not only of vital importance for the bees, the unique mixture also contains very useful substances for man.

An important element of honey research is pollen analysis. Under the microscope it can be determined precisely, which are the carrying plants of the pollen and from which region they originate. Both the botanical and the geographical origin of the honey is determined. The work of the beekeeper can also be reviewed and monitored on manipulation of honey, such as honey filtration or addition of pollen.

The C-mount - a needful thing

For beginners, the combination of a light microscope with a digital camera includes some surprises. There are obvious discrepancies between the visual impression in the eyepieces and on the screen respectively. These discrepancies are about color impression and image section.

The color impression in the eyepieces may be taken as a reference and depends on the color correction of the objective. The Plan Apochromatic lens design gives best preconditions for maximal color fidelity and resolution. The imperfection of a secondary spectrum, caused by the usage of white light, is compensated for 3 colors, while spherical aberrations are corrected for 2 wavelengths. The result is an impressive image quality without any colored fringes. Especially in colorless black/white samples the absence of secondary spectrum becomes obvious. However, for price reasons, it is the Plan Achromatic quality level of a modern Infinity System which sets the point of reference for most users.

Many beginners expect a 100% color transfer to the screen via digital camera. But the sensory hardware of the digital camera, a CMOS or CCD chip, acts as a