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

Optical fibers in sponges?

Grantia is a genus of calcareous sponges belonging to the family Grantiidae. Grantias contain spicules and spongin fibers. Spicules are structural elements found in most sponges. They provide structural support and deter predators. Large spicules, visible to the naked eye are referred to

Too many mouths?

Stomata, are the mouths of plants. Plants breathe through them, just as we do with our lungs. They are not visible to the naked eye, and a plant therefore needs quite a lot of them. However, there must be

Hair? Where?

True hair is found only in the Class Mammalia, and there is really no such thing as an absolutely hairless mammal. Even whales (at least some of them) have rudimentary hairs here and there. Some other animals have hair-like structures, but if you have real hair, you're a mammal.

Hair serves many functions. The most obvious is to serve as insulation, but it's also used to provide camouflage (for example, the spot pattern

Workhorse Aspergillus Niger

Aspergillus Niger is a fungus and one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus. It causes a disease called black mold on certain fruits and vegetables such as grapes, onions, and peanuts, and is a common contaminant of food. It is ubiquitous in soil and is commonly reported from indoor environments, where its black colonies can be confused with those of Stachybotrys (species of which have also been called "black mold").

Aspergillus Niger represents the most efficient, highest yielding bioprocess for the production of citric acid in practice. This process is a model for other filamentous fungal fermentation processes