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Human Cheek Cells Microscope Science Project

August 18, 2015, 5:03 am
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This is a simple microscope science project that will allow you to view cell membranes, nuclei and cytoplasm.  You will need the following items to perform this science project:
High school high power compount microscope.
Compound Microscope
Place a drop of the methylene blue stain on the microscope slide. (This will stain your clothes, so be careful!) Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with the flat side of the toothpick. Place the toothpick in the stain so some of your cheek cells will come off. Place a coverslip on your slide and put it under the microscope.

Start out by looking at the slide under the lowest magnification (40x). The cells probably will not be completely purple, so if you are only seeing all purple through the microscope eyepiece, move the slide a bit to a different location. Make sure you get the microscope in focus by using both the coarse and fine focus knobs. Once you get some cells into view, move the magnification up to 100x.

Can you identify the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane of your cheek cell? Draw the images you see under the microscope and label the parts.

The methylene blue was required in order to help distinguish the cells from the similar color background they were on. Another way to do this without staining is by using a microscope with phase contrast.

Is your cheek cell a eukaryote or a prokaryote?
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Plan Achromat Student Microscope

August 21, 2015, 5:10 am
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Richter Optica recently introduced the UX-1 plan achromat student microscope. This microscope is available in four versions:
  1. Binocular (2 eyepieces)
  2. Trinocular (2 eyepieces + camera port)
  3. Digital 3mp camera
  4. Digital LCD Tablet
Plan achromat objective lenses are a step above basic achromat objectives. A typical achromat objective lens has about 60% of the field of view that is crisp and in-focus. When looking at the circular image through the microscope with achromat objectives, the very outer edges of that image will be slightly out of focus due to the curvature in an achromat objective lens. Plan achromat objective lenses have corrected for this curvature in the lens and provide a 100% flat (and in-focus) field of view, resulting in a higher quality image.

Richter Optica UX1 binocluar student plan achromat microscope.
UX1 Binocular Microscope

Richter Optica UX-1T trinocular student microscope with plan achromat objective lenses.
UX-1T Trinocular Microscope

Richter Optica UX1D digital student microscope with 3mp camera and plan achromat objectives.
UX1D Digital 3mp Microscope

Richter Optica UX1-LCD student tablet digital microscope with plan achromat objective lenses.
UX1-LCD Tablet Microscope

 You can view the full line of Richter Optica microscopes here.
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Acute Suppurative Appendicitis under the Microscope

August 24, 2015, 5:18 am
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Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. This condition afflicts approximately seven percent of Americans at some point in their lives. Incidence of appendicitis is lower in regions of the world where dietary fiber is consumed in greater amounts than in the US.

Suppurative appendicitis has traditionally been considered a later stage of appendicitis, in which bacteria and inflammatory fluids accumulated in the lumen of the appendix enter the wall of the structure and subsequently cause intense pain.

The images below of acute suppurative appendicitis were captured with the Fein Optic RB30 biological microscope using a High Definition microscope camera.

Appendicitis captured with RB30 microscope and HD camera at 40x magnification.
Suppurative appendicitis captured with the RB30 microscope& HD microscopy camera at 40x.

Appendicitis captured under the Fein Optic RB30 lab microscope using the HD microscopy camera at 100x.
Suppurative appendicitis captured with the RB30 microscope& HD microscopy camera at 100x.

Appendicitis captured with the Fein Optic RB30 microscope at 400x using the HDCAM4 HD microscope camera.
Suppurative appendicitis captured with the RB30 microscope& HD microscopy camera at 400x.

Microscope image of appendix captured at 400x using RB30 lab microscope at HD microscopy camera.
Suppurative appendicitis captured with RB30 microscope& HD microscopy camera at 400x using Plan Apo Fluor Lens

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Jenoptik Microscopy Camera MicroScanning Technology

August 27, 2015, 5:32 am
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Several of the Jenoptik ProgRes microscopy cameras have a feature called Microscanning technology. This sophisticated technology allows cameras with 1.4 megapixels to deliver absolutely true-color images of up to 12.5 megapixels.

The process of Microscanning involves scanning a section by laying a series of images in fractional pixel steps across the camera sensor. These partial images are made into a composite image. Each partial image is a full field image made at a faster rate than the composite image. The resolution of the final image is increased in the horizontal and vertical directions by the number of single images taken in each direction, otherwise known as the micro-scan factor. This final image has a geometric resolution that is increased by the micro-scan factor in both directions, allowing for a final high 12.5 megapixel resolution from a native 1.4 megapixel sensor.
Jenoptik microscopy camera microscanning technology explained.

The Jenoptik cameras that offer Microscanning technology include:

Microscopy camera by Jenoptik made in Germany.Microscanning increases spatial resolution and color resolution, in other words you end up with more true color reproduction. Microscanning in the Jenoptik ProgRes cameras allows the image sensor of the camera to be shifted in both pixel and sub-pixel steps. This results in a more true color representation.

If you have questions regarding Jenoptik cameras or Microscanning technology please contact Microscope World.


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Leukemia Under the Microscope

August 31, 2015, 5:55 am
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Acute granulocytic leukemia is a common form of adult-onset leukemia (cancer of the blood and bone marrow), with more than 10,000 Americans diagnosed with the disease each year. Leukemias are a group of neoplastic diseases primarily involving the bone marrow and characterized by an abnormal proliferation of white blood cells (leukocytes). In acute forms of leukemia, the disease strikes suddenly and progresses rapidly, whereas chronic forms are much more gradual in their development.

The images below are of acute granulocytic leukemia and were captured using a lab biological microscope and a high definition HD microscopy camera.

Microscopy image of Leukemia captured under a lab biological microscope at 40x.
Leukemia captured under a clinical microscope with an HD microscopy camera at 40x.

Microscopy image of Leukemia captured with a lab microscope at 100x.
Leukemia captured under a clinical microscope with an HD microscopy camera at 100x.

Microscopy image of Leukemia captured at 400x magnification.
Leukemia captured under a clinical microscope with an HD microscopy camera at 400x.

Microscopy image of Leukemia captured using a plan semi apochromat fluor objective lens (400x).
Leukemia under a clinical microscope with HD microscopy camera at 400x using Plan Apochromat Fluor objective lens.

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Ginger under Polarizing Microscope

September 2, 2015, 5:18 am
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Kennel Cough Under the Microscope

September 4, 2015, 7:22 am
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Bordetella is also known as kennel cough or canine tracheo-bronchitis. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease among canines, and a high percentage of dogs all over the world suffer from it at least once during their lifetime. Young puppies usually suffer the most severe complications, since they have an under-developed immune system that is still strengthening. Also at an increased risk are the older dogs, whose immune system has weakened. Pregnant or nursing females have a lower immunity to infections and can be at a greater risk for Bordetella.

The symptoms found in dogs include a dry, hacking cough, retching and watery nasal discharge. The most common cause of kennel cough is the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. The images below of Bordetella Haemophilus Pertussis were captured using the Richter Optica U2 biological microscope and a high definition microscope camera.

Microscpy image of Bordetella Haemophilus Pertussis at 400x.
Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 400x (plan fluor lens used).

Microscope image of Dog Whooping Cough at 400x.
Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 400x (Achromat lens used).

Bordetella bacteria under the microscope at 100x magnification.
Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 100x (Achromat lens used).

Microscopy image of bacteria causing dog whooping cough.
Canine Whopping Cough under a biological microscope at 40x (Achromat lens used).

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Tetanus Bacteria Under the Microscope

September 10, 2015, 12:15 pm
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Clostridium Tetani is an anaerobic pathogenic bacterium that is primarily found in soil and animal intestinal tracts. As characteristic of all bacteria, C-Tetani is single-celled and does not contain any membrane-bound organelles, such as a nucleus. This bacterium is Gram-positive, which means that it lacks an outer lipopolysaccharide membrane and possesses only a thick peptidoglycan cellular wall. However, established vegetative bacterium occasionally stay Gram-negative, indicating a thin formation of the lipopolysaccharide membrane. This membrane is characteristically rod-shaped and flagellated in its vegetative state, and drum-like shaped in its spore form.

There are currently eleven identified strains of C-Tetani, and all are known to produce an identical neurotoxin called tetanospasmin. This potent toxin is the cause of the central nervous condition know as tetanus, which is commonly fatal unless treated.

The images of Clostridium Tetani below were captured using the RB30 biological lab microscope and a microscopy camera.

Clostridium Tetani under the microscope at 40x.
Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 40x.

Tetanus bacteria image under the microscope at 100x.
Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 100x.

Microscopy image of Clostridium Tetani, the bacteria that causes Tetanus at 400x.
Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 400x.

Microscopy image of bacteria at 400x magnification.
Clostridium Tetani captured under a biological microscope at 400x using a Plan Fluor Objective.
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What is a Compound Microscope?

September 14, 2015, 10:08 am
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By definition, a compound microscope is an optical microscope with two lenses. The two lenses in a compound microscope are the eyepiece lens and the objective lenses. These lenses make up the total magnification on the microscope. For example, if you are using a microscope with 10x eyepieces and the objective lenses are 4x, 10x and 40x, your microscope total magnification = 40x, 100x, 400x. This is the typical setup used in a high school compound microscope.

Another term for a compound microscope is a biological microscope or a high power microscope. When compound microscopes were first introduced they used a mirror to direct light up to the eyepiece. Today microscopes typically have a built-in light (usually LED because it is bright, the bulbs last a long time, and it is a cool light that will not damage living specimens).

The diagram below shows the popular HS-1M high school compound microscope and details some of the parts of the microscope.

High school compound microscope HS-1M with detailed parts.
If you have any questions about compound microscopes please contact Microscope World.
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5 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease (& Microscopy Images)

September 16, 2015, 7:45 am
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Coronary Atherosclerosis (also known as heart disease) is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and other parts of the body. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the organs and other parts of the body.

Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems including heart attack, stroke or even death. It can affect any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, arms, legs, pelvis and kidneys. As a result, different diseases may develop based on which arteries are affected.

There are five proven ways to prevent or reduce your risk of developing coronary atherosclerosis:

  1. Exercise regularly
  2. Eat a healthy diet
  3. Moderate consumption of alcohol
  4. Don't smoke, or quit smoking
  5. Lose weight if you are overweight

The images below of coronary atherosclerosis were captured with the RB30 biological microscope. A high definition microscopy camera was used to capture the images to an SD card.

Ways to prevent heart disease and images under the microscope.
Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 40x.

Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 100x.
Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 100x.

Ways to prevent heart disease and images of heart disease under the microscope.
Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 400x.

Microscopy image of heart disease captured under the microscope at 400x using a plan fluor apochromat objective lens.
Coronary Atherosclerosis under the microscope at 400x using a Plan Fluor Apochromat Objective.

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Appendix under the Microscope

September 22, 2015, 1:10 pm
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The appendix is part of the human digestive system and is a blind-ended tube connected to the pouch-like structure of the colon called the cecum. The human appendix is typically 9cm in length and about 7-8mm in diameter. It is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, near the hip bone.

Recent research by William Parker and Randy Bollinger from Duke University shows that the appendix may serve as a haven for useful and good bacteria, when illness flushes those same bacteria from the rest of the intestines. The condition appendicitis is simply an inflammation of the appendix.

The images below of the appendix were captured using the RB30 lab microscope and a high definition microscopy camera.

Appendix under the microscope at 40x magnification.
Appendix under the microscope at 40x magnification.

Biological microscope image of appendix captured at 100x.
Appendix under the microscope at 100x magnification.

Microscopy image of appendix captured at 400x magnification.
Appendix under the microscope at 400x magnification.

Appendix captured under the microscope at 400x magnification using a plan fluor apo objective lens.
Appendix under the microscope at 40x magnification using a plan fluor objective.
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Citric Acid under Polarizing Microscope

September 29, 2015, 10:18 am
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The image below of Citric Acid was captured by Jan l'Amie in the Netherlands. Jan used the BYO-500T microscope, which is a University level trinocular Siedentopf microscope. He captured the image using a PL 10x objective lens with a polarizing filter. The Canon EOS 50D DSLR camera was connected to the microscope with a photo tube fitted with a 2.5x photo eyepiece.

Citric acid is a natural preservative that is present in citrus fruits. Citric acid is also used to add an acidic or sour taste to food or drink. Citric acid is known as a commodity chemical, as more than a million tons are produced every year by fermentation.


Thank you to Jan for sharing this amazing image with Microscope World. If you have any images you would like to share, please contact us.
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Microscope World on Pinterest

September 30, 2015, 7:25 am
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Earth's Beauty under the Microscope

October 2, 2015, 4:50 am
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Bernardo Cesare is a Professor of Petrology at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Padova, Italy. His scientific interests include metamorphism and melting of rocks, mineralogy, and the study of inclusions in minerals. He extensively uses photomicroscopy to describe the subjects of study and their morphological features.

Cesare's photomicrographs were captured with a digital reflex camera mounted on a polarizing microscope. After shooting the image, no manipulation is involved. The interference colors are the result of natural propogation of polarized light into minerals, and of the use of the microscope compensator λ. In order for the rock sections to be transparent, all rock samples are cut, sliced, and thinned down to a 30-micron (0.03mm) thickness and mounted on a glass holder. This is the standard "thin section" research technique of geologists.

Polarizing microscopy image of Charoite Rocks.
Charoite, A Rock from Russia © Bernardo Cesare

Polarizing microscope image of Agat.
Agat, A Rock from Brazil © Bernardo Cesare

Polarizing microscopy images of Tiger's Eye from South Africa.
Tiger's Eye from South Africa © Bernardo Cesare

Sugar under a polarizing microscope.
Sugar Crystals from a drying drop of Liquer © Bernardo Cesare

Sugar crystals under the polarizing microscope using the compensator.
Sugar © Bernardo Cesare

Polarizing microscopy image of a plastic bag.
Fragment of a Vacuum Plastic Food Bag © Bernardo Cesare

Polarizing microscopy image of rock thin sections and minerals.
Rock Deformations © Bernardo Cesare

Thank you to Bernardo Cesare for sharing his images with Microscope World. To view more of his images please visit his website: micROCKScopica.org.
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Diphtheria under the Microscope

October 6, 2015, 5:02 am
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Corynebacterium Diphtheriae is a rod-shaped bacteria belonging to the order of Actinomycetales, which are typically found in soil, but also have pathogenic members such as Streptomyces and mycobacteria. It is a gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile and toxic producing bacteria.

Corynebacterium Diphtheriae is best known for causing the disease Diphtheria in human beings, which results from the production of the Diphtheria toxin in conjunction with an infection by a bacteriophage, which provides it with a toxin-producing gene. Diphtheria has been studied heavily, because historically it was a very deadly disease, especially for children where mortality rates were eighty percent before vaccines and antitoxin were developed. Since rats and mice are naturally immune to the Diphtheria toxin, it has been difficult to study in a lab.

Diseases resembling Diphtheria were described as early as the 4th century BCE by Hippocrates. It was named in 1826 by French physician Pierre Bretonneau, who gave it the Greek name for leather hide. This was a very appropriate name since the disease creates a leathery layer that grows on tonsils, throat and nasal passages.

By 1892 the first antiserum was developed by Emil Von Behring and ready for commercial production. He was later awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1891.

In 1923 Alexander Glenny, Barbara Hopkins and Gaston Ramon produced a vaccine for Diphtheria. They found that formaldehyde could prevent the Diphtheria toxin from being toxic, and the non-toxic form still retained its antigenic qualities. This vaccine led to a large decline in the number of cases of Diphtheria. In 2014 there was only one recorded case of Diphtheria in the United States.

The images below of Corynebacterium Diphtheriae were captured using a lab research microscope and a CCD microscopy camera.

Corynebacterium Diphtheriae under the microscope at 40x.
Corynebacterium Diphtheriae under the microscope at 40x.

Microscopy image of Corynebacterium Diphtheriae at 100x.
Corynebacterium Diphtheriae under the microscope at 100x.

Microscopy image of Diphtheria bacteria.
Corynebacterium Diphtheriae under the microscope at 400x.

Diphtheria bacteria images from under the microscope at 400x using a plan fluor objective lens.
Corynebacterium Diphtheriae under the microscope at 400x captured with a Plan Fluor Objective.
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Labeling the Parts of the Microscope

October 8, 2015, 10:23 am
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Breast Cancer Awareness: Mammary Glands under the Microscope

October 13, 2015, 1:55 pm
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Of all breast cancers about 80% originate in the mammary ducts. The mammary gland is a gland located in the breasts of females that is responsible for lactation, or the production of milk. Both males and females have glandular tissue within the breasts. However, in females the glandular tissue begins to develop after puberty in response to estrogen release.

Mammary glands only produce milk after childbirth. During pregnancy, the hormones progesterone and prolactin are released. The progesterone interferes with prolactin, preventing the mammary glands from lactating. During this time, small amounts of a pre-milk substance called colostrum are produced. This liquid is rich in antibodies and nutrients to sustain an infant during the first few days of life. After childbirth, progesterone levels decrease and the levels of prolactin remain raised. This signals the mammary glands to begin lactating. Each time a baby is breastfed, the milk is emptied from the breast and immediately afterward, the mammary glands are signaled to continue producing milk.

As a woman approaches menopause, the tissues of the ductile system become fibrous and degenerate. This causes involution, or shrinkage, of the mammary gland and thereafter the gland loses the ability to produce milk.

A few known ways to reduce breast cancer risk include:
  • Reducing amount of alcohol consumed (women who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of getting breast cancer as women who don’t drink alcohol.)
  • Losing weight if obese or overweight.
  • Increasing physical activity. In one study from the Women's Health Initiative, as little as 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking reduced a woman's risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more. 
The images below are of the mammary gland captured under the RB30 laboratory microscope using a high definition microscopy camera.

Microscopy image of mammary gland at 40x.
Mammary gland under a lab microscope at 40x.

Microscopy image of mammary gland under lab microscope at 100x.
Mammary gland under a lab microscope at 100x.

Micrscopy image of mammargy gland for breast cancer awareness month.
Mammary gland under a lab microscope at 400x.

Microscopy image of mammary gland at 400x using a plan fluor objective lens.
Mammary gland under a lab microscope at 400x using plan fluor objective lens.


For more information on breast cancer prevention and early detection please click here.
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Penumonia under the Microscope

October 19, 2015, 11:02 am
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Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung affecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. It is usually caused by infection involving viruses or bacteria and less commonly caused by other microorganisms, drugs or other conditions such as autoimmune diseases.

Typical signs and symptoms of pneumonia include cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. Diagnostic tools include x-rays and a culture of the sputum. Vaccines to prevent certain types of pneumonia are available. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Pneumonia presumed to be bacterial is treated with antibiotics. If the pneumonia is severe, the affected person is hospitalized.

The images below are of a human lung infected with viral pneumonia and were captured with the RB30 clinical lab microscope using the HDCAM4 high definition microscopy camera.

Microscopy image of viral pneumonia captured at 40x under the RB30 clinical lab microscope.
Lung infected with viral pneumonia under the microscope at 40x.

Microscope image of pneumonia captured at 100x under a clinical lab microscope.
Lung infected with viral pneumonia under the microscope at 100x.

Microscopy image of pneumonia at 400x.
Lung infected with viral pneumonia under the microscope at 400x.

Microscope image of pneumonia captured with a plan semi apochromat fluor objective at 400x magnification.
Lung infected with viral pneumonia under the microscope at 400x using a Semi Plan Apochromat Fluor objective.
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Top 10 Microscopy Tips

October 29, 2015, 11:24 am
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At Microscope World we spend all day long using microscopes and helping customers solve microscope related problems. These are some of our top 10 microscopy tips to keep your microscope experience fun and enjoyable!

  1. Always start focusing at the lowest possible magnification. On a biological microscope this will be with the 4x objective. On a stereo microscope the setting is around 1x. Once you get the lower magnification in focus it will be easier to move up in magnification and obtain a focused image.
  2. When using prepared slides, make sure you put them on the microscope right-side up. If they are upside down you won't be able to focus the image.
  3. Place your sample in the center of the microscope stage and make sure you have plenty of light shining on it.
  4. Always focus the coarse focus first, then fine-tune with the fine focus knob.
  5. Don't buy a plastic microscope or a microscope with plastic optics. The frustration won't be worth the money saved.
  6. When increasing magnification on a compound microscope adjust the condenser and light intensity accordingly.
  7. Keep microscope lenses clean and when the microscope is not in use, cover it with a dust cover.
  8. Use your imagination and look at a number of different samples! Here are some ideas for what to view with your stereo microscope. If you are using a biological compound microscope get some pond water to look at, try looking at your cheek cells and peel an onion skin and put it under the microscope. Be creative!
  9. When purchasing a microscope figure out beforehand if you want a stereo microscope or a biological microscope. They are different and will allow you to view different types of specimens. There's a great article here that explains the differences between stereo microscopes and biological microscopes.
  10. Keep learning! If you have questions microscopy message boards & groups are a great place to ask, or post your question on the Microscope World Facebook page. If you enjoy seeing images under the microscope check out this Tumblr page of microscopy images.
Pond water captured under the microscope at 400x magnification.
Microscopy image of pond water captured at 400x.

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Mixing Microscope Objective Lenses

November 2, 2015, 10:57 am
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Is it possible to mix and match objectives lenses from one brand of microscope to another? It depends on your type of microscope, but sometimes yes, it is possible. The objective lenses you use on your microscope need to be the same tube length as the microscope. For example, if your microscope has a 160mm fixed tube length you will need to use 160mm tube length objective lenses. Many older or inexpensive microscopes, when measuring from the back end of the microscope to the primary focal plane are limited to 160mm, therefore they have a 160mm fixed tube length. More advanced microscopes use a series of lenses and prisms to allow for an "infinite" distance between the back end of the microscope to the primary focal plane. These microscopes have an "Infinity Corrected" optical system and will use Infinity Corrected objective lenses.

Microscope Objective Lenses
Microscope Objective Lenses
A few things to keep in mind if you do choose to mix and match microscope objective lenses from one microscope brand to another.
  • Digital microscopy images may not match up when mixing objective lenses from one brand to another, even if you make sure the microscope tube length and the objective are comparable. You may be able to simply refocus the microscopy image for the camera.
  • If you are using mixed objective lenses on the microscope turret, they most likely will not be parfocalled (each objective in focus when switching from one magnification to another). You can still use the objectives, just be prepared to allow a bit more time for re-focusing when changing magnifications.
  • Before you purchase another objective lens, make sure the lens uses the same thread size or be prepared to use a threaded adapter.
  • If you are using specialty microscopy techniques such as phase contrast or darkfield microscopy mixing objective lenses might not work well.
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