MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I Raul,
As a counter stain to grams stain safranin is used as a simple 1% aqueous solution.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

Hi Microman,
The most comprehensive book I know of on micro technique is "The Microtomist's Formulary and Guide" by Peter Gray. This is now somewhat dated but contains a vast quantity of information.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

chemman wrote:
So how do you get those part numbers? And the specs?

Thanks for the help.
Chuck

I have an old pamphlet/catalogue.
Peter.

Hi Chemman, The "thingy" is a camera viewfinder, (basic unit I 47 60 10). It contains a fixed beam splitter providing 60% of flight for photography and 30% light for viewing. The little slide has a light sensor for exposure measurement. The bottom dovetail fits to an adapter ring which mounts on the...

dustcritter wrote:i think im correct in thinking i will need a compound microscope for that

Sounds about right to me.
Peter.

p.s.
I hope somebody may find this interesting although I'm starting to think it may be just myself and Eddie on this one!
I do (hanging on your every word ). Keep it up.
Peter.
P.S.
Perhaps you can remove the inclusions of the agar with warm/hot water.

Hi DHicks,
I have looked at your photo and can not see anything that looks like a spirochete. Like mrsonchus I think we need a synopsis of your protocol used to bring us this image.
Peter.

DaveH wrote: would I be right in
thinking its a Rotifer.

Yes.
Peter.

Hi Unseen4ce,
Probably "floaters", (small imperfections on the pupil) which every body has but usually only show up in extreme lighting conditions.
Peter.

Great photos; but how did you get the moon on your microscope?

Hi Shaun, I think you may need to have a good hard look at the basics . In the environment every carnivore needs to have at least 10 times its mass in herbivores to feed on and every herbivore needs to have at least 10 times its mass in vegetation feet on. So if you intend to have say 10 g of carniv...

Hi John,
If these "organisms" are algae then they must have originated in some aqueous medium, I would suspect the section flattening water bath.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

Hi John B,
I do not know what the green artefacts are, however they certainly appear to me to be extraneous to your sections.
Have you filtered the fast green stain? If not I would definitely filter that, and check it for contamination especially by bacterial organisms.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

Hi Shawn, Clearing is a term which appears to have two related meanings; when tissue is moved from a relatively low refractive index medium e.g. alcohol to a medium of a similar refractive index to that of the tissue itself e.g. benzene then the tissue's optical characteristics change from cloudy to...

Hi Denis,
Amber is basically fossilised rosin (tree sap).
Peter.

Hi Rat-Terrier, Blood smears are traditionally air dried then stained with Wright's stain (which contains enough methyl alcohol to fix the smear), then after rinsing are air dried again before mounting (permanently). Other high protein smears may be treated similarly. A squash is much more difficult...

Hi Mrsonchus,
Sorry I was of no help, pleased to know you have overcome the problem in your own way.
Peter.

Hi Mrsonchus, The " 'ruck-up' " of sections my be corrected by the following method; after flattening the sections on the slide, drain off the water, place the slide on the bench cover with water saturated filter paper (I recommend Whatman No. 50 (usual disclaimer)), then firmly roll over with a har...

Hi Houstontx,
Please don't take offence at this suggestion but are you viewing from the coverslip side not trying to focus through the slide?
Peter.

Hi Rat-Terrier, What cells (tissues) are you viewing? (Presumably Live). Generally to make a permanent slide the cells need to be fixed (with a killing/fixing solution), stained, dehydrated, possibly/probably cleared (dehydrating agent removed), then mounted in a resinous or similar medium. If you t...

Hi Mes0,
Can you post photos of the parts, that may help people determine how best to help you.
Peter.

Hi Rodney,
The insect you have photographed appears to be a wasp or bee not a bug. The definition of a bug is an insect with piercing sucking mouth parts.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

Hi Mrsonchus, After watching your video I have a small tip; rather than using your brush dry moisten it with the tip of your tongue then you can mold the tip to a point with your lips, this will give a finer point for more accurate work also the moisture will stick to the sections holding them (but ...

Hi John, The photo of the old microtome shows it in very good (looks brand new) condition. Presumably this is an as is photo not an as new photo. Dose the Reichert come with user manual? If not this may be a reason for requesting the price to be adjusted downward. If the Reichert works I see no prob...

Hi Will, One of your links shows scanning electron micrographs, a light microscope will never give images that look like these. To achieve good images of microscopic structure you need not only a good compound microscope but also good micro technique. Viewing the petri dishes a stereo (dissecting) m...

Hi Abrogard,
Sorry but I have had no direct dealings with tank water filtration so can not advise on this, my best advise is to look for a local supplier of pumps etc. for people who use tank water (as those on farms etc.).
Peter.

Hi Abrogard, Aquatic fungus is very primitive and tends to come more as single threads. I would strongly recommend you set up a proper filtration and reticulation system as soon as possible, it will cost but the safety factor and the convenience will be more than worth it. A proper diagnosis is all ...

Hi Abrogard, After looking over your photos I think the main constituent of your "membrane" may be an aquatic fungus, several pictures appear to show crosslinked fibrous matter which is reminiscent of (if not necessarily indicative of) fungus mycelium. In the videos I did see two or three spirillum,...

Hi Abrogard, Don't get in a panic over bacteria in your drinking water it's a perfectly natural thing. If i am right and this "membrane" is bacterial (remember this is only my theory) then the bacteria are actually helping purify the water by breaking down and consuming the organic contaminants. Bac...

Hi Abrogard, The light coloured spheres with dark hemispheres attached certainly appear to be pine pollen; the feather shaped object in the last two photos is a scale from a moth or butterfly (lepidoptera). I suspect some bacteria has captured these (and probably more organic material) in a loose ge...