MITOSIS: Multiplication by Division

Our body contains trillions of cells (thousands of millions) but everything started from a single cell. This unit cell has the amazing ability of dividing into two, and then four, and then eight and so on, in time becoming a complete organism. The process through which cells divide and divide as to multiply in number and become a complete organism, is known as Mitosis.

During Mitosis, the parent cell divides to form two genetically identical daughter cells. In order to assure a perfect copy of the genetic material in the daughter cells, the parent cell has to duplicate the chromosomes first; this step is called the

Feulgen stain, still indispensable for microscopic research

Robert Feulgen (1884–1955) was a German physician and chemist who, in 1914, developed a method for staining DNA (now known as the Feulgen stain) and who discovered that DNA is located in the chromosomes and also discovered plant and animal nuclear DNA ("thymonucleic acid") congeniality. 

Painting with crystals

Preparing a normal or time lapse video of a crystallization process under the microscope is not easy. Focusing problems, formation of too big crystals and getting the interesting part right under the objective, often gives you a headache.

With the technique described below, most of these headaches can be overcome: