Where did the bubbles go?
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:07 pm
I recently made a microscope slide of a macerated insect in a deep well slide. I was kind of upset at the bubbles but set it aside to dry. It takes a while for these dry, if they ever fully dry. When I came back to it the bubbles were gone. On the next slide I made sure enough there were bubbles again.
The process I used to make the slides involves Maceration of the insect using a 10% sodium hydroxide solution. I then rinse with white vinegar, distilled water and then let it dry. Once it's dry I put a few drops of synthetic Canada Balsam (with xylene) on it and place the cover slip. I'm doing these deep well slides to view under the stereo microscope, some of these larger insects don't like being squashed flat.
As you can see from the photos it starts out with a lot of little bubbles and a few large ones. the little bubbles disappear quickly, within the first day. The larger bubbles take much longer, these photos were taken over a 3 day period. Some of the bubbles, like the one close to the edge of the slide look like they are just shrinking away which makes me think the air is going into the solution of the mountant. I can see a bubble changing in the cephalothorax and at least one of the legs, not sure what's going on there. Maybe that's where some of the bubbles went. The abdomen looks like it's completely deflated, not much going on there. This doesn't seem to happen with flat mounts, only the deep well slides. I'm not complaining about this, it's a good thing, just wondering where the bubbles are going.
The process I used to make the slides involves Maceration of the insect using a 10% sodium hydroxide solution. I then rinse with white vinegar, distilled water and then let it dry. Once it's dry I put a few drops of synthetic Canada Balsam (with xylene) on it and place the cover slip. I'm doing these deep well slides to view under the stereo microscope, some of these larger insects don't like being squashed flat.
As you can see from the photos it starts out with a lot of little bubbles and a few large ones. the little bubbles disappear quickly, within the first day. The larger bubbles take much longer, these photos were taken over a 3 day period. Some of the bubbles, like the one close to the edge of the slide look like they are just shrinking away which makes me think the air is going into the solution of the mountant. I can see a bubble changing in the cephalothorax and at least one of the legs, not sure what's going on there. Maybe that's where some of the bubbles went. The abdomen looks like it's completely deflated, not much going on there. This doesn't seem to happen with flat mounts, only the deep well slides. I'm not complaining about this, it's a good thing, just wondering where the bubbles are going.
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