Colorful microscopic crystals

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | Motic BA310E 4X | Moticam Pro S5 Lite | © My Microscopic World

A crystal is a solid where the individual molecules are arranged in a highly ordered three-dimensional structure like we see in grains of sugar and table salt. This is compared to when a substance is dissolved in a liquid and all the individual molecules are floating randomly around. If a liquid with a crystallizable substance is left to evaporate. The individual molecules will rearrange themselves and get bound to one another in a crystalline structure. Depending on which substance it is, both the micro- and macroscopic crystal structure will vary greatly.

Found on cow parsley

Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are very small creatures that are almost invisible to the naked eye. Without magnifying glass they look like small black stripes on the leaf. Thrips is a very feared plague among growers. They are very difficult to control, even though the damage to the plant is not too bad. They are so feared because these insects have wings, so they can spread rapidly to other plants.

 

Cytoplasmic streaming in onion cells

All cells are confined by a cell membrane, and in the case of plant cells this membrane is accompanied by a cell wall. Inside this envelope, each cell contains a lot of different organelles, molecules like proteins, carbohydrates and nutrients along with a cytoskeleton for structural support.

The organelles and macromolecules need to move around to get where they are needed. One way of achieving this is through passive diffusion. However, this process is very slow in the crowded cellular cytoplasm where up to 30% of the volume is taken up by macromolecules. To speed things up the cell utilizes a phenomenon called cytoplasmic streaming, also known as protoplasmic streaming and cyclosis. This kind of molecular movement, in contrast to diffusion, is not a passive but an active process which uses energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The energy is spent on moving specialized transport molecules called myosin, kinesin and dynein, along the cellular cytoskeleton while carrying the macromolecules and organelles.

Phase contrast - You always got a sample with you

Phase contrast is a widespread method in transmitted light microscopy. Especially in biology and medicine with their native samples this contrast method often is the easiest way to examine thin, unstained sections, smears and emulsions with almost no absorption.

The necessary hardware for Phase contrast 

• Figure 1: Objective with evaporated phase ring
• Figure 2: Illumination slot
• Figure 3: Centering telescope
• Figure 4: Phase ring

An objective with an evaporated Phase ring is combined with a respective illumination slot, placed in the focal plane of the condenser. The Centering telescope is a helpful tool to bring the round illumination ring to a perfect overlap with the partly transparent Phase ring. 

How to use the Phase Contrast accessories

Does this grow into a stink bug?

The Common green stinkbug or Palomena prasina is a common bug. You can find it in large parts of Europe, North Africa and the temperate parts of Asia. The bug has adapted to all kinds of biotopes such as forests, grasslands with suitable shrubs, marshes, gardens and parks, as long as food plants grow.

Allergic dermatitis in cats

When a cat comes into contact with an allergen, their body can react causing itching and inflammation. More severe cases of allergic dermatitis are easily recognized, while other may have very subtle signs and symptoms. That is why it is important to take a biopsy to make this sure and to investigate that it is not another ailment.

Are you sure you get the best image quality out of your microscope? About cleaning the front lens and using the aperture diaphragm.

No matter what microscope is in use, it should always be the intention of the user to optimize the image, means to get maximum information out of the sample. We are not talking about aesthetics, as some wrong microscope setup creates nice but misleading images, for example based on diffraction effects. From an educational model to a high-end outfit: experience shows that on any level of hardware and user knowledge mistakes are possible. Microscope experts are sometimes irritated when they walk through a hospital lab. Teaching correct microscope handling is simply not spirit of the time.

For an optimal image quality, the front lens of the microscope objective should be simply “clean”. No scratches, not grease, no residuals of immersion oil. This is not easy to achieve, as in daily work, especially with multiple users, a care for this aspect is not always in focus.

A nice example of a scratched/dirty front lens

What are blue-green algae?

Blue algae are cyanobacteria and live on light, carbon dioxide and nutrients dissolved in the water. Blue algae were the first organisms on earth and they produce oxygen. Many nutrients in the water can cause blue-green algae blooms.

The video and photo are showing these organisms present in a sample of water from a port in the southern Netherlands. The sample was taken shortly after exceptionally hot days with an outside air temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. With a blue-green algae bloom, the many blue-green algae on the water surface can come together and form a floating layer. Many types of blue-green algae make poisons. Contact with or swallowing blue-green algae can cause health problems.

Case of ovarian cavernous hemangioma

Case report

A 46 year-old woman without any pathological background except multiple uterine leiomyomas was undergone to a total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy. During study of surgical specimen, a little reddish nodule of 9 mm was discovered in the hilum of the left ovary. 

Microscopically, this nodule was made of dilated thin-walled vascular channels, filled of blood.

Image taken with a Moticam X3

Lick granuloma dog

A lick granuloma or acral lick dermatitis is a place on the skin as a result of frequent licking by the dog and is found usually at the end of the paws, hence acral (think of the Athenian Acropolis: city on top) Lesion is sharply defined. This is a nasty ailment. It is not always clear what causes it, but itching is often the reason. A physical cause is rarely found. Usually the cause is psychological such as boredom, separation anxiety, stress, nervousness or attention seeking behavior. Licking is then a distraction for the dog. Once the dog is licking, it is difficult to stop this. It has become a habit for the dog.

The first symptoms are discoloration of the coat due to the saliva. The skin can become thicker and bald. Inflammation of the skin is possible due to the granuloma. This starts itching more and makes the dog more lick and bite. Then the dog comes in a vicious circle. The process can continue down to the bone, sometimes amputation is necessary. A lick granuloma actually only occurs on the front legs.