Spirostomum in BF and DF

[microplan]

This is the first time I've published two videos at the same time.
It won't happen again.
They concern the same object, or actually many objects.
The included music is also the same.
However, the technique used is different.
Today Spirostomum filmed in light and dark field.

Regards
Maciej

[apochronaut]

Why does there always have to be music? I'm sure if the creatures had to listen to it it would drive them into contortions.

[macnmotion]

Great captures

[Francisco]

Very nice.

[PeteM]

Like night and day . . .

[microplan]

1. apochronaut - ever since I learned how to add music to my videos, I have been doing it and I will continue to do so.
I consider music to be a very good complement to the film material.
I don't know why you're so sure these creatures wouldn't like the music.
Despite careful observation, I do not see that they have the ears needed to listen.

2. macnmotion, Francisco, PeteM .
Thank you very much for your time and nice opinion

Regards
Maciej

[Javier]

Very nice!

One thing I have noticed about these guys is that they very often gather together in large groups. Do you have any information on this issue?

[einman]

Very Nice!

[Bruce Taylor]

Very nice! If you're curious, the species is S. teres.

[Dennis]

I like all the ambient music in videos.
I always thought it helps people get through them better.
It can take some time off say a 2 minute or more video and make it more bearable.

[microplan]

Javier - it's difficult for me to answer your question.
I just have no idea.
inman - thank you for your nice opinion
Bruce Taylor - thank you for clarifying the name
my guests.
Dennis - I'm glad we have similar views
about music in videos.

I wish everyone all the best in the New Year.

Maciej

[jackieone]

I am also a huge fan of music in videos, especially ones like these where I can't take my eyes off the action! It's just a natural combination...like...OK, here it comes: peanut butter and jelly! LOL!

Beautiful.

[charlie g]

Nice videos...they raise the question for me of how ( with such large protists)..does a microscopist image capture detailed resolution of the cilia and contractile structures..and keep a sense of the entire ciliate.

One question I have for this OP excellent set of video clips is: ' what approximate temp. were these huge ciliates collected at? Often the literature records cycles of abrupt contractions ..a periodic cycle of whole body contractions.


Your bloom of these huge ciliates seem to be 'slivering about, smoothly gliding about the waters they are imaged in'.

Was this a sample you collected from an outdoor natural 'bloom of these ciliates'...or did you culture this bloom indoors?

thanks for a wonderful microscopy encouter...charlie g

[macnmotion]

Nice videos...they raise the question for me of how ( with such large protists)..does a microscopist image capture detailed resolution of the cilia and contractile structures..and keep a sense of the entire ciliate.

What I usually do is image the organism at wide angle (for me, that's usually a 10x objective with a fov of 1.4 x 0.8 mm) to give a sense of scale. For smaller organisms I would use a 20x for this purpose. Then I use my higher mag objectives to shoot detail portions of the organism. In my final video, I begin with the wide shot then display the detail shots. In some cases, I'll go back and forth from wide to detail, if the wide shows different subject areas at different times. For example, with a Hydra, I might focus first on the pedal disc (foot) with my wide angle (it's rare to focus an entire Hydra at the same time), then show magnified detail of the foot. Then I show wide angle focused on the mouth, then detail of the mouth, and finally wide angle focused on the tentacles, then detail of the arms. Your question is a very good one, and reminds us of the importance not only of the finest details, but how those details fit into the entire protist and its environment.

[macnmotion]

Nice videos...they raise the question for me of how ( with such large protists)..does a microscopist image capture detailed resolution of the cilia and contractile structures..and keep a sense of the entire ciliate.

What I usually do is image the organism at wide angle (for me, that's usually a 10x objective with a fov of 1.4 x 0.8 mm) to give a sense of scale. For smaller organisms I would use a 20x for this purpose. Then I use my higher mag objectives to shoot detail portions of the organism. In my final video, I begin with the wide shot then display the detail shots. In some cases, I'll go back and forth from wide to detail, if the wide angle focuses on different subject areas at different times. For example, with a Hydra, I might focus first on the pedal disc (foot) with my wide angle (it's rare to focus an entire Hydra at the same time), then show magnified detail of the foot. Then I show wide angle focused on the mouth, then detail of the mouth, and finally wide angle focused on the tentacles, then detail of the arms. One other thing I've done is to slowly zoom in on a feature (something that requires decent resolution video to begin with). For example when I imaged a snail embryo in its egg, it was possible to see the statocyst. After showing it wide angle, I slowly zoomed in, bringing it into the center of the scene. You can see this at 2:10 of this video: https://youtu.be/-vdqgLMs208?si=VxHM01DQXqX69igR&t=130 . I also did the same thing last week at about 28 seconds of a video showing the valve inside a Thuricola's lorica: https://youtu.be/0PVYLsAAP_Y?si=cRnox9DPsDaDh0Oy&t=26 . In other videos (I can't recall which right now) I not only zoom, but dim every part of the scene except for what I'm highlighting (using a mask to darken the scene in DaVinci Resolve).

Your question is a very good one, and reminds us of the importance not only of the finest details, but how those details fit into the entire protist and its environment.

[marcel_]

What is lightfield? I'm asking because it is not bright field, since I notice some 3d effect and I wonder what you did to get that result.

I also think the music goes well with these kind of video's. It just makes it all a little more playful.
I happen to have a stock that is also full of these creatures. Thanks for letting me know these are Spirostoma. I also noticed their social tendency to get together, so they must send out some sort of chemical signal, that they are in the neighborhood.

[charlie g]

I'll be a pest, macnmotion..did you encounter a bloom of these elegant ciliates...if so from where in your home areas?

Did you culture these huge ciliates indoors at your bench? Please share, for us, the source of these wonderful protists which you image capture quite a dense population of...with only sparse hints of natural coinhabitants in the wet-mount preps.

Again, thank you for this sharing. charlie g, fingerlakes/US BTW, hi, marcel..the title itself of these wonderful video encourter clearly states: "BF and DF"

[macnmotion]

I'll be a pest, macnmotion..did you encounter a bloom of these elegant ciliates...if so from where in your home areas?

I wasn't the OP so I don't know ow the source of the protists. I responded to one portion of your question in the hopes that it might be helpful.

[charlie g]

OOps, microplan...I guess you did not see my request for info on your dense ciliate population wet mount slide.

Again, microplan, thanks for this thread. charlie g

[macnmotion]

OOps, microplan...I guess you did not see my request for info on your dense ciliate population wet mount slide.

Again, microplan, thanks for this thread. charlie g

Sometimes the layout of this old-style message board can make it very difficult to follow who is saying what to whom

[ddy5]

Lovely videos! The DIC is great, but I especially like the dark field lighting.

On several occasions, I've had a 100x50mm dish of pond water with a mud layer on the bottom that during the day had a few Spirostomum in or just above the mud. However, when I looked into the dish at night, there were vast numbers of Spirostomum swimming lazily in the pond water. The majority seemed to be in to top 1/3 near the surface.

[marcel_]

BTW, hi, marcel..the title itself of these wonderful video encourter clearly states: "BF and DF"

I doubt that, because of the clear shadows seems more like oblique. Just curious how that was achieved.

[microplan]

Hello everyone.

I am very sorry that I did not participate in such a lively discussion about these two videos.
I didn't expect this and I must admit that it surprised me (in a very positive sense of the word). Thank you all very much for your time and opinions. English is not my natural language, so I use an automatic translator. And the quality of it varies. That's why sometimes I have trouble properly understanding the texts that appear on our forum. I realize that it also works the other way round, i.e. my answers may be incomprehensible. To some extent, this limits my activity on the forum.
I apologize to everyone for this.

Jackieone - I am also a supporter of supplementing video material with music. This is a great addition and people have noticed it a long time ago.
After all, at the beginning of cinematography, when films were silent, a musician sat in the room and played the piano.

Charlie G - if I remember correctly, this sample comes from moss. Last fall, while on a walk with my family, I noticed a rather tall brick fence post, the top of which was covered with thick and strangely long moss. I took a large amount and put it in a plastic container at home and filled it halfway with water. And I forgot about it for about two weeks. When I took a drop and placed it on the slide, this view appeared and it was everywhere along the entire length of the slide.

Marcel - yes, as you noticed, it is a classic light and dark field. Nothing special. My modifications and experiments consist in the fact that, whenever possible, I place various colored filters, oblique filters or polarizers in the path of the light rays. Sometimes it gives extraordinary results and sometimes it doesn't. You have to try it yourself.
And these microorganisms maybe gather and move to the music?

Ddy5 - Thank you for your nice opinion. It's always a pleasure. But I have to correct you. Unfortunately. I don't have DIC technology. It's a light and dark field. I discuss the topic of DIC in another Subforum, which I have not visited either.
I achieved the dark field effect in the following way. There is a special place in the condenser of my microscope for replaceable filters. I place a round glass there. In my case, the diameter of this glass is 35mm. It may be different for you. You must check. I stuck a small disc (diameter 10 mm) on this slide in the center. And the dark field filter is ready. The effect can be seen in the video. Sometimes I additionally disturb the proper flow of light rays by slightly side-blocking the light port in the base of the microscope under the condenser.This filter works well with 3.2x lenses; 12.5x and very poorly at 25x (the resulting image is slightly blurred).


I don't know what the abbreviation PO stands for.

Thank you again for your great interest in this material.

Regards
Maciej

[microplan]

Marcel.
Yes, you're right about the diagonal lighting effect. To achieve this, I partially cover the beam of light under the condenser with a black plate.

Ddy5 - I forgot to write that this small 10mm disc must be black. I'm sure you know this, but I wanted to supplement my post