Hi from Michigan

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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rf044
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:12 pm

Hi from Michigan

#1 Post by rf044 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 8:46 pm

I'm new in more than a few ways. This is my first forum/blog. Please be understanding as I'm ignorant of many nuances of blogging. As you may guess I'm old. Newbie from Alabama said he was approaching 50. Gotcha beat. I'm pushing 74. Therefore, much of my tech ignorance.

I thought microscopy might be an alternative to some of the more active things I cannot do. There is a marsh at the front and back of my property. (The seller saw me coming!) I purchased an AO 150 recently. It has 4x, 10x plan, 40x plan, and 100x plan objective. There are so many cool organisms I'm finding but classification is a challenge. Some of my college keys are helping but still a challenge. "How to Know The Protozoa" by T.L. Jahn, 1949, is a good aid as is "How to Know the Fresh-Water Algae" by G. W. Prescott. Recently, I spotted what appeared to be a filamentous, green algae. It looked very much like Ulothrix aequalis. The problematic part is that it was mobile. I could not visualize any cilia or flagella. Turned the illumination to minimum and closed the diaphragm as well. That helped with some detail but still no obvious agent for motility. The size range was extreme as well. One was about 800 microns while another about 60. Both ends were rounded and that cell appeared about 1/2 the size of the rest of the cells in the filament. While it was moving, I observed the "leading" end. At 1000x, it would not stay in focus as it moved through the depth of field. It moved very similar to an earthworm as it moved side to side and up and down. Almost in a foraging motion. I watched this movement many times as well as the forward and back movement. I'm sure it was not due to movement of the cover slip over the specimen.

Are there microscopic annelids with chlorophyll? There were clearly cell walls in all the central cells and no central alimentary canal. So, annelids seemed unlikely.

Is this a protozoan with chlorophyll?

Just asking. Thanks for looking. Hope someone knows.

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75RR
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Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: Hi from Michigan

#2 Post by 75RR » Sat Jul 28, 2018 6:15 am

Hi rf044, welcome. (One day we are all going to have to fess up as to the origin of our monikers. ;)
"How to Know the Fresh-Water Algae" by G. W. Prescott.
I use it as well - great book! See page 161
Recently, I spotted what appeared to be a filamentous, green algae. It looked very much like Ulothrix aequalis. The problematic part is that it was mobile. I could not visualize any cilia or flagella. Turned the illumination to minimum and closed the diaphragm as well. That helped with some detail but still no obvious agent for motility. The size range was extreme as well. One was about 800 microns while another about 60. Both ends were rounded and that cell appeared about 1/2 the size of the rest of the cells in the filament. While it was moving, I observed the "leading" end. At 1000x, it would not stay in focus as it moved through the depth of field. It moved very similar to an earthworm as it moved side to side and up and down. Almost in a foraging motion. I watched this movement many times as well as the forward and back movement. I'm sure it was not due to movement of the cover slip over the specimen.

Are there microscopic annelids with chlorophyll? There were clearly cell walls in all the central cells and no central alimentary canal. So, annelids seemed unlikely.

Is this a protozoan with chlorophyll?

Just asking. Thanks for looking. Hope someone knows.
Perhaps not an alga but cyanobacteria - probably Oscillatoria.

It is possible to take photos though an eyepiece if you have one of those newfangled phones that incorporate a camera. (Disclaimer - don't use one myself on my microscope but have seen the results)
You would need (apart from the phone) a way to attach it: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Compat ... VSWRKCBJMA
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

rf044
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:12 pm

Re: Hi from Michigan

#3 Post by rf044 » Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:44 am

Thanks for your prompt response 75RR. I'll check that out.

charlie g
Posts: 1831
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:54 pm

Re: Hi from Michigan

#4 Post by charlie g » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:28 pm

Welcome and thanks for this intro to your path to microscopy! Yup...the 'handels' we give ourselves in forums get intricate...my two cents...your 'handel' refers to heat insulation index of something of keen attachment to your world?!! What ever your handel..perhaps once or twice you will eventually feel comfortable with postings signed off on with your name?...what ever! Hmm..great contest sport:'guess origin of my forum handel'.

You cite two darn good texts for a 'lower 48' entry to microscopy, congrats on your home near to wetlands...microscopy will inform you of lots going on with your areas microscopic neighbors of yours.

As you sense your entry to microscopic observations will be an enriching activity of nature craft for you...visit free/on-line texts addressing: 'adventures with the microscope', 'evenings at the microscope', observational microscopy is as gratifying as 'birding', amateur astronomy observing paths, or hiking open lands....it helps to get a footing in hobbyist microscopy to visit the online ( free!) books on: 'hunting with a microscope', etc., etc. . And like area hiking, area astronomy, area birding...quickly we sense seasonal rythms to what is going on about our world views...with a microscope.

And all these aspects of 'natural history/nature craft/ natural philosophy/ pheneology' are tied together, each relates to the other aspects of our world through yearly seasons, through dramatic changes of climate...gulp...let's not think of an astronomical: 'NEO' leading to an extinction-event!

Oh so quickly your observations can tract to specifics like: 'parasitic mites on your areas bee pollinators', Simple and accurate measurement of mushroom spore size to distinguish mushroom close species in your target population of mushrooms, etc., etc.. Visit the classic texts I alluded to on: 'adventures with the microscope'..for so many overviews/big picture of our 'microscopy world views'.

Your scope is not a toy..a great observational instrument...you noted the objectives you enjoy...next thing is to enjoy the : lower magnification eyepieces compatible with you scope...I'm guessing your scope has: 10X eyepieces? What type of substage condenser does your scope have? Are it's objectives: 'achromats', or 'plan achcromats'...or, gulp!! 'apochromatic' objectives.

Soon as possible..please plop[ some images of your: 'setup' into a forum post here. Please visit our forums posts on: 'what is your microscope bench setup?'.

Again, welcome 'rf'! Charlie Guevara, finger lakes/US

Captain_Howdy1
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:48 am

Re: Hi from Michigan

#5 Post by Captain_Howdy1 » Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:23 am

Hi rf044, be careful messing around in those swamps around your house...in Alabama ours have snakes and gators...I don't know if you guys in Michigan have such things...or things that are as nasty as ours but I just want you to continue to keep get older. I just enjoyed your comment in my regard :D being as I am the noob from Bama! I got an old USAF buddy that lives somewhere up there in that frozen waste land...one of his hobbies is mini tractor pulling...but heck he lives in the UP so that says a lot...or very little...depending on the point of view I guess! Awesome guy though! We still call each other brother!!! I personally think the desire to learn helps to keep us not only motivated and grounded in life but also a part of life in a way that allows us to live longer.... (I hope that made sense :-( )

Wes

rf044
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:12 pm

Re: Hi from Michigan

#6 Post by rf044 » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:26 pm

Hi Wes and Charlie. Thanks for your responses.

My space is pretty chaotic. It is a corner of the office next to my wife's sewing machine. My scope is on a 1940's phone table. Upon it are all the makings of disorder. You can find the scope (covered with a state of the art plastic grocery bag), a 1960's dissecting kit, several 1960's keys to the protozoans, fresh-water algae, and various fresh-water fauna, a notebook (for drawing ??? my critter observations), a box of tissues (for cleaning slides and covers), and a pan with a couple of pints of pond stuff.

Pretty much a disaster zone. But, I'm having fun.

I'm such a newbie on all fronts I don't know where to start. This website was found after the scope was purchased. Though it says American Optical Scientific Instruments One-Fifty, it is a spitting image of the Reichert 150 on their laboratory/teaching brochure. The many great pics I'm seeing on this site make me want to share. I don't have a trinocular head. I do have a digital camera, Canon Rebel Eos Ti5. I cannot find out if dark phase, filters, or other good stuff can be added to this scope.

In short, I'm overwhelmed at the changes since I was in college. Just haven't kept up.

Thanks for your help and comments,

Bob

apochronaut
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Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Hi from Michigan

#7 Post by apochronaut » Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:46 pm

Welcome. Not a big jump from the patterns of protists to the patterns on fabrics. In fact, I am sure that many of them were spawned( if that is the correct term) out of biological observations.

Yes; you have researched well. The AO 150 and Reichert 150 are the same,with pretty much just a paint job difference. AO owned Reichert and Cambridge Instruments became the owner of AO and Reichert simultaneously in the early 80's. Their thinking was that Reichert was a more marketable name than AO, possibly due to the fact that AO had more of a household name presence in the U.S., as an opthalmic instrument company. The 150 was a student and small lab microscope and was made for about 20 years. You can put phase on it, both dark and bright.

It was eventually replaced in the marketplce by the Leica ATC 2000, after a further corporate change; this time a merger between Cambridge Instruments and Wild-Leitz. A subsequent decision chose the identifiable camera name Leica + Microsytems, as the marketing moniker for the merged company, which actually has nothing to do with Leica camera, despite the common name.

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