Dodder, a spiraling parasite

Dodder (Cuscuta and Grammica), is a twining yellow or orange plant sometimes tinged with purple or red. Occasionally it is almost white. Dodder can be identified by its thin stems appearing leafless, with the leaves reduced to minute scales.

Dodder is classified as a member of the Morning-Glory Family (Convolvulaceae) in older references, and as a member of the Dodder Family (Cuscutaceae) in the more recent publications. Dodder parasitizes various kinds of

There is always some sun shining

Above we can see an aciculate aragonite that comes from Toledo. Its particular acicular form is determined by the ordering of its atoms, which tend to grow faster in the radial direction than in the others. This provides us needle-like structures all coming from a crystal nucleus.

Interestingly, its chemical formula is CaCO3, the same one as the calcite. Yet they are considered polymorphic

Antony van Leeuwenhoek was the first to discover…

Eimeria stiedae is a species of Eimeria (protozoal parasites) that causes hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits. It was observed for the first time by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Parfocality adjustment for upright microscopes

Parfocality is a property of the optical components that allows the microscope to stay in focus when changing between lenses of different magnification.

This means that when the objectives of a microscope are changed from higher to lower magnification or vice versa, the sample you are viewing stays in focus.

This is important especially when taking photographs or making videos using a microscope and a camera. If the parfocality is not adjusted, the camera will not be focusing correctly, even if the image seen through the eyepieces is in focus.

To ensure the correct parfocality adjustment of your microscope, just follow these easy steps:

1. Adjust the interpupillary distance so that both the right and left field of view become one.

2. Set the diopter adjustment on both eyepieces (or on eyepieces tubes) on the “0” position.

3. Select the lowest magnification objective and

Urea, a chemical indispensable for life

Urea is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO(NH2)2. The molecule has two NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl (C=O) functional group. Urea serves an important role in the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds by animals and is the main nitrogen-containing substance in the

Some ideas about Stereo Microscopes

A stereo microscope certainly is the most widespread type of microscope. From industrial QS applications to the biomedical field, from professional environments to amateur usage: no other type of light microscope can claim to have a similar appreciation.

This success is based on its characteristics:

• Low magnification
• 3-D image
• True sided image
• No sample preparation needed

Especially in educational environments, there is no better instrument to take the first steps into the “world of small things”. Sample preparation for a regular transmitted light microscope is often associated with

Have a look in your thigh bone

The femur, or thigh bone, is the longest, heaviest, and strongest bone in the entire human body. All of the body’s weight is supported by the femurs during many activities, such as running, jumping, walking, and standing. Extreme forces also act upon the femur thanks to the strength of the muscles of the hip and thigh that act on the femur to move the leg. The femur is classified structurally as a long bone and is a major component of the appendicular skeleton.

Bone is living tissue and has a hard, relatively rigid matrix. The matrix contains numerous collagen fibres and is

A universal tool for scientists and hobbyists: Motic’s stereo microscope SMZ171

From industrial applications to the biomedical field, from professional environments to amateur usage: A stereo microscope fits to all application fields. Flexibility in optics and illumination here is the key issue.

Motic’s well-established SMZ171 comes with extended resolution power and multiple illumination options. The standard optical configuration

The Special One

This tiny, black-and-white tropical freshwater fish is a quite popular aquarium fish but what makes it so special is how it can help researchers.

Popularity of zebrafish (Danio rerio), within the medical research community started when scientists realized

Walking without legs

Amoeba proteus gets its name through two Greek words; Amoeba meaning change and proteus meaning Sea God. The Greek meaning describes this microbe as the Sea God Proteus that has an ever