Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
- FatBassPlayer
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Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Does anyone know of any good but simple (beginner-level) instructional resources for creating permanent slides of various different types of specimens?
I'm looking for a step-by-step walkthrough covering everything; cleaning, slicing, staining, drying, mounting.... etc.
Are there basic procedures that are followed for everything, or is the process for a tiny insect completely different from that for a bacterial culture, or a plant section from a microbe?
Thank you!
I'm looking for a step-by-step walkthrough covering everything; cleaning, slicing, staining, drying, mounting.... etc.
Are there basic procedures that are followed for everything, or is the process for a tiny insect completely different from that for a bacterial culture, or a plant section from a microbe?
Thank you!
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Mozart is dead,
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And I ain't feeling great.
Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Walter Dioni's articles - truly excellent for beginners in the Home amateur context - 100% recommend his work.
Images all the way through too.
Images all the way through too.
John B
- FatBassPlayer
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Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Thank you, sir! This looks like exactly what I need.mrsonchus wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:17 pmWalter Dioni's articles - truly excellent for beginners in the Home amateur context - 100% recommend his work.
Images all the way through too.
Picasso is dead,
Mozart is dead,
Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.
Mozart is dead,
Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.
Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Completely different, sorry! This is one of the major hurdles when trying to make progress in microscopy: In most cases you need a completely different process for each object you want to work on. Different fixatives, stains, mountants, lab equipment. 50% of which is either not made any more, not allowed to be made any more, unobtailable, very expensive, dangerous or you are not supposed to have it.FatBassPlayer wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 12:56 pmAre there basic procedures that are followed for everything, or is the process for a tiny insect completely different from that for a bacterial culture, or a plant section from a microbe?
So for a start it makes sense to either skip permanent slide making and observe fresh specimen or concentrate on one or two types of objects. Do you have something you are especially interested in?
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Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
I agree with Bob.
Nevertheless, I think botanical permanent slides are still the ones which are fairly easy to make for an amateur microscopist. There are several non-toxic stains available, isopropanol and ethanol (thanks to Covid ) have become household chemicals. Euparal as mounting medium is fairly easy to handle. The only somehow problematic chemical is the fixative (ethanol- 5% acetic acid - 5% formalin) which most people are using, and which needs some care when using it.
If you want to venture into histological slides or thin sections of insects, paraffin will typically come into play, and then things get substantial more "chemical".
Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
MicroBob wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 7:06 pm... In most cases you need a completely different process for each object you want to work on. Different fixatives, stains, mountants, lab equipment. 50% of which is either not made any more, not allowed to be made any more, unobtailable, very expensive, dangerous or you are not supposed to have it.
- FatBassPlayer
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Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
This is what I expected. In terms of any particular area(s) of interest. diatoms & microbes definitely. Otherwise I want to establish as good a "general foundation" knowledge as I can, then I guess I'll see where the road takes me....
Thank you all for your replies. Very informative!
Thank you all for your replies. Very informative!
Picasso is dead,
Mozart is dead,
Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.
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Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.
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Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Diatoms are of an "intermediate" to "advanced" level, but I hear that mounting them is satisfying. I have been trying to extract storax gum from the trees in the property for some years but it's proving difficult!
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination
Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Making permanent slides of diatoms is an interesting occupation. There are two main techniques involved: At first you have to clean the frustules to the degree you want. There are simple methods and methods that involve cooking in harsh chemicals. It is important to honestly check how good ones lab knowledge and disposal facilities are. Then you have to mount them in a high refractive index mountant like Pleurax, Naphrax, Speedax, not so easy to obtain unfortunately.
But diatoms are also interesting objects to observe in living condition!
Bacteria are not interesting to observe since a light microscope can't resolve their finer detail, you only get dot, stick or snake shapes. Zooplancton is much more interesting to observe alive as the behauviour is very interesting.
So there are many objects that require no chemistry and lab work and I would suggest to start with them. Myself I like to make permanent slides but I have access to the needed stuff and the space to store and use it.
- FatBassPlayer
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Re: Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?
Thank you Bob, very helpful!
Supply of chemicals, stains, mountants etc isn't an issue, but I want to learn what I'm doing first - to walk before I try to run, as it were!
I'm hoping that a (small) collection of permanent slides will serve as a record of my gradually improving technique and skill. Emphasis on "gradually"! Very, very gradually! I'm also imaging as much as possible to keep a digital record of my microscopic travels.
Supply of chemicals, stains, mountants etc isn't an issue, but I want to learn what I'm doing first - to walk before I try to run, as it were!
I'm hoping that a (small) collection of permanent slides will serve as a record of my gradually improving technique and skill. Emphasis on "gradually"! Very, very gradually! I'm also imaging as much as possible to keep a digital record of my microscopic travels.
Picasso is dead,
Mozart is dead,
Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.
Mozart is dead,
Einstein is dead,
And I ain't feeling great.