MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Some bacteria that drifted to the bottom of the drop.
Do different species organize themselves differently? Do some secrete poison to clear away other species? I know nothing.

Olympus IX70 20x HMC 1.5x augmentation.
Pond aquarium sample viewed through bottom of petri dish.

Curious,
Radazz

I think it is safe to say that almost anything is possible when it comes to bacteria. Communal organization, bioslime chemistry, aggregation , agglutination, shapechanging. Some of the most startling facts about them has only been known for 10-20 years or so. Anyone studying them could be viewing new horizons.

You might make a slide from fixated and stained bacteria and show it at high magnification. The light microscope won't show more than the shape though.
I once had a look at slides from human bacterial diseases and can remember that the different bacteria arranged themselved in very different ways.

Bob

Beautiful image for your post, thanks Radazz. Deep time hard for me to 'get my head around', yet bacteria were the primary huge hordes in Precambrian life revolution of metabolic inovations, population interactions and habitat exploitation. Flexible life energy production from oxygen free habitats...to free oxygen (oxygen a toxic pollutant to large groups of bacteria) habitats, and light derived energy production ( photosynthesis in bacteria and cyanobacteria at least 3.5 billion years ago was being played out in habitats). I'm suggesting our bacteria have: 'been there and done that' with: tissue level of integration of communities ( complexes of biofilms have interactions between the variety of organisms in these 'tissues'.), symbiotic and competitive interactions between populations in the life webs of any habitat ( Dr.Lyn Margulis well stated the majority of species interactions on earths huge biomes are symbiotic/beneficial...and not the dismal 'struggle of the garden' which Charles Darwin emphazied). Electric nano-wires often connect species of bacteria , one to the mesh of others..and indeed utilize electric signals for group responses to habitat conditions, I sense it's a yes to all of your musings posted with this bacteria image capture you share!

With your inverted stand, Radazz...is 40X about the top objective power you can utilize? Are'nt inverted long working-distance stands limited in their 'top- NA'? I'm asking as your image has my hands 'tingle to click to' a 60X, or 100X immersion objective.

What is the reasonable higher NA objective this inverted stand can function with? Thanks for all your shared microscopy. Charlie guevara

"Do different species organize themselves differently? Do some secrete poison to clear away other species?"..

YES!!... They sure do!... I read somewhere where two species of bacteria were competing for growing space.. One defeated the other by attacking and wiping them out with generated Hydrogen Peroxide... Fascinating!...

Very good images, by the way..

BillT

"species interactions on earths huge biomes are symbiotic/beneficial"...Not always the case... It IS the "dismal" 'struggle of the garden' which Charles Darwin emphazied)... Dr.Lynn(it is Lynn, not Lyn) Margulis's statements are nothing more than unproven theory and speculation... Nature is a fight for survival.. Just look around you at all interactions, not just those that look harmless and supportive and make you feel good.. Charles Darwin was absolutely correct..

Regards,
BillT

MicroBob wrote:You might make a slide from fixated and stained bacteria and show it at high magnification. The light microscope won't show more than the shape though.
I once had a look at slides from human bacterial diseases and can remember that the different bacteria arranged themselved in very different ways.

Bob

If you want to make permanent slides, you might be able to obtain the materials locally. There is a topical antiseptic popular with the Spanish speaking population called Gentian Violet, available in 1% and 2% solutions. The brand I see online is mostly De La Cruz. Gentian Violet is a mixture of two or more types of Methyl Violet, with maybe some Crystal Violet thrown in as well. I have had good luck with Methyl Violet, and posted a few images of bacterial slides made with it. I suspect the antiseptic Gentian Violet should work as well, especially if you can find the 2% solution, which I think I remember seeing on Ebay.

The trick is to make the preparation on a coverslip, not a slide. The coverslip is turned over so the preparation is on the bottom side before dropping onto a slide with a drop of mounting medium on the slide. This will make sure the preparation can be reached with an oil immersion objective.

You can probably use clear nail polish as the mounting medium. If you want to really go old school, you can go to an art supply story and get a bottle of Dammar Varnish (also spelled Damar Varnish). That was occasionally used as a mounting medium in Germany in the late 19th century. If you use it though, you'll need to set the slide where it can mostly dry before examining with an oil immersion objective. That might take several days to a couple of weeks.

My primary use for bacteria is as a focus reference for hunting amoeba. I know I’m focused on the bottom of the sample.

Radazz

"Electric nano-wires often connect species of bacteria , one to the mesh of others..and indeed utilize electric signals for group responses to habitat conditions."... BALONEY!!...

You watch too much "Avatar"...

BillT

I see tetrads of cocci, clusters/ packets of cocci, bacilli, and coccobacilli. That's about as detailed as you can get without culture or mass spec. Species identification is not possible with only light microscopy in most cases.