In college, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a photomicroscopy class in Dr. R.M. Brown's Botany laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin.  Below are some of the pictures I find most interesting.  Although I found this brief hobby fun, it was somewhat impractical to pursue after I graduated.  So this is it.

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Euglena

A single Euglena was photographed with a green filter under brightfield conditions (693X). A flaggelar canal is found at the upper extreme of the specimen. A rod-like structure (possibly something the specimen has ingested) is protruding from the other extremity.

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Pleurosigma angulatum (diatom)

The hexagonal configuration of the Pleurosigma angulatum punctae can be seen under brightfield conditions (1732.5X) using the 100X oil immersion objective.

The first order diffraction pattern of the punctae forms six equally spaced rainbow-like images along the circumfernece of the aperture indicating a hexagonal structure.

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Tillandsia rucurvata (tree seedling scale)

A single Tillandsia recurvata scale was photographed with a green filter under brightfield conditions (173.2X).

This Tillandsia recurvata scale was photographed under polarized light microscopic conditions (173.2X). Unpolarized light can be passed through a polarizing filter yielding light whose electro-magnetic fields oscillate in only one plane. When another polarizing filter is placed perpendicular to the first filter, the remaining plane-polarized white light is extinguished. Now when a specimen is placed between these two filters, the plane polarized light is refracted by the various structures. The refracted light is able to pass through the second filter rendering an image of the specimen. The polarized white light is composed of different wavelengths (i.e. colors) that are refracted differently by particular orientations relative to the plane of polarized light (note the different structural orientations of the a) central and b) radial areas of the scale). So some colors are reinforced while others undergo destructive interference.

This Tillandsia recurvata scale was photographed under fluorescence microscopic conditions (173.2X). The scale was allowed to react with the fluorochrome Tinopal, which binds polysaccharides, absorbes UV light, and emitts blue light. Here the Tinopal is shown to react with a) the central region of the scale, b)a bacteria, c) some debris, and the extreme radial area.

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Onion Cell(s)

This onion cell was photographed under fluorescence microscopic conditions combined with phase contrast microscopic conditions (693X). The cell was allowed to react with the fluorochrome DAPI, which binds specifically to DNA, absorbes UV light, and emitts blue light. Here the DAPI is shown to clearly react with cell's a) nucleus. Also visible in this picture is the b) cell wall. Although c) mitochondria contain DNA, there is not enough to produce a blue signal.

These onion cells from the root tip were photographed under phase contrast microscopic conditions (693X). The root tip is an area of prolific cell division, so many different phases of division can be seen in one image. The image showed an a)interphase cell with a b) brown nucleolus surrounded by the c) uniformly light blue nucleus. The d) prophase cell still had its nucleus, but the e) chromosomes were much more condensed. The f) metaphase cell had g) distinct chromosomes that met at the midplane of the cell. The h) anaphase cell contained i) chromosomes that were pulled by their j) centromeres to the poles. The k) post-cytoknetic cells were clearly divided by a l) cell wall, but still had condensed chromosomes.

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Termite Gut Protozoan

This protozoan was photographed with a blue filter under phase contrast microscopic conditions (1732.5X). Visible structures include the a) nucleus, b) mitochondria, c) mouth-like appendage, d) food storage area, and e) numerous flagella. The blue filter was used to reduce the effect of chromatic aberrations.

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Starch Grains

These starch grains were photographed under polarized light microscopic conditions (173.2X). The different colors signify a structural orientation change with respect to the plane of polarized light (z-axis). This particular color pattern indicates a radial structure.

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Tradescantia Stamen Hair

A single Tradescantia Stamal hair cell was photographed under darkfield microscopic conditions (1732.5X). Visible structures included the a) nucleus, b) cytoplasmic streams, and c) thickened cell wall.

This Tradescantia Stamal hair cell was photographed under phase contrast microscopic conditions (1732.5X). This form of microscopy is particularly usefull in viewing a transparent specimen. Instead of producing a visible image from an amplitude or intensity change in light, phase contrast utilizes the phase shift of light as it passes through a specimen to create an image. Visible images include the a) cell wall (blurred because of the cell's thickness), b) nucleus, c) cytoplasmic stream elements, and d) surface striations.

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Pennate Diatom

A single pennate diatom was photographed under phase contrast microscopic conditions (1732.5X). Visible structures include a) raphe slits (motile lengthwise structures visible only against the dark background of the organelles), b) surface striae, and c) numerous organelles.

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Epithelial Cell (from human inner cheek) with Digital Image Processing

A single Epithelial cell (from human inner cheek) was photographed with a under darkfield conditions (1732.5X). This image was then digitized and enhanced using IBAS 2.0 software. This progressively enhanced composite picture includes the a) original image, b) interactively scaled image, c) pseudoplast filtered image, and d) zoomed gaussian float image.

The progressively enhanced composite picture above was then color enhanced using the SUNSET lookup table. a) The yellow/brown aggregates surrounding the b) nucleolus may represent some endoplasmic reticulum or other extra-nuclear organnelle not visible in the original composite images.

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Grasshopper Testis

These grasshopper testis' meiotic cells were photographed under phase contrast microscopic conditions (173.2X). The a) MI and b) MII stages of spermatogenesis were distinguished by the decrease in cell size that is associated with cytokinesis. The c) developmental stage was identified by a further decrease in cell size and the addition of flagella.

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Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to chrisbal@luminexcorp.com.

This page was last updated on 04/05/02.