Category: Labwork

How can air bubbles in wet munts be reduced?
Small air bubbles in the slide are not generally a problem but can be avoided or reduced by several methods.

Which specimens are susceptible to air bubbles?
Some specimens are more susceptible to air bubbles than others.

How do I make a wet mount?
The wet mount is the most common way of preparing objects for microscopic observations.

What characteristics should a specimen have to be suitable for microscopy?
Objects for microscopy must be sufficiently thin, translucent and must have a sufficiently high contrast.

Can I still use microscopes even though I have no interest, space or time in preparing slides?
A slide box with ready-made permanent slides gives you already many interesting things to look at.

Using clear nail polish to make impressions of plant leaves
Apply some nail polish to make impressions of leaves. This way you can observe the epidermis of the leaf.

Safety issues in Microscopy
Safety issues in microscopy are not only relevant to amateur microscopists, but also for teachers who want to conduct basic microbiological and microscopic work in a school laboratory. In this case the organisms are alive and depending on the type of organism, they may pose a possible health hazard. The post addresses some of the safety issues that should be taken into consideration.

How to prepare squash specimen samples for microscopic observation
Squashing the specimens (instead of cutting them) is a fast and easy way to prepare specimens.

Microscopic observation of EHEC?
Is it possible to use microscopes to identify pathogens, such as the EHEC bacterium, which currently (May-June 2011) causes problems in some parts of Europe? The answer is, unfortunately, no.

Safe sources of microorganisms for microscopy
A simple check of the refrigerator (or the super market) provides many safe sources for microorganisms to view under the microscope.