patterns on cheek cell membrane

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Lomonaut
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:30 pm

patterns on cheek cell membrane

#1 Post by Lomonaut » Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:13 pm

While playing with the 100x oil - of course watching the obligatory cheek epithelial cells - I noticed some stripe patterns on the cells, it's not smooth at all but folded. Perhaps to increase surface area? It's really hard to see, I tried to emphasize it with some post processing...
Nikon E-plan 100x/1.25 oil, imperfect DIC (hence the background gradient), for 02 I even oiled the condensor.
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epthele_100x_04 copy.jpg
epthele_100x_04 copy.jpg (184.08 KiB) Viewed 2584 times
epithele_100x_02 copy.jpg
epithele_100x_02 copy.jpg (185.25 KiB) Viewed 2584 times

smollerthings
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:10 pm

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#2 Post by smollerthings » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:17 pm

Very interesting. Really resembles geological features. If you cropped the middle and told me it is pictures of the moon, I would have believed you. :D

I would be very curious to know the biological significance of those irregularities!

hans
Posts: 986
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 11:10 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#3 Post by hans » Tue Feb 08, 2022 7:21 pm

I also wondered about these patterns while setting up some phase contrast stuff I bought a while back. My first guess of endoplasmic reticulum was almost certainly incorrect then after some more searching I was thinking maybe microplicae:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13127

Lomonaut
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:30 pm

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#4 Post by Lomonaut » Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:47 pm

Ah, thanks guys!

Microplicae. Never heard of it, apparently they are only about 0.2 um wide so I'm glad we could notice and capture them :)

DonSchaeffer
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Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#5 Post by DonSchaeffer » Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:13 pm

I see similar kinds of patterns on plant cells. Sometimes they look like industrial stamps.

Lomonaut
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:30 pm

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#6 Post by Lomonaut » Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:26 pm

Interesting Don, what kind of plant cells?

Found some more pictures on my HD that show the patterns, same session
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cheek100x03c.jpg
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cheekcell_Microplicae.JPG
cheekcell_Microplicae.JPG (144.51 KiB) Viewed 2209 times

DonSchaeffer
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Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: patterns on cheek cell membrane

#7 Post by DonSchaeffer » Mon Feb 14, 2022 2:07 am

Almost all that I've viewed. Not all individual cells but on many. What I noticed was the extent to which these cells are individuals with varied shapes and markings.

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