Your Textbooks Are Wrong, This Is What Cells Actually Look Like

[KY_EnviroGuy]

Your Textbooks Are Wrong, This Is What Cells Actually Look Like
Nov 24, 2019
Seeker

Snips...

You probably remember being taught about the cell in your high school biology class—learning the cell structure, labeling the membrane, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm.

But it turns out, what we’ve learned from our biology textbooks is likely an oversimplification, and biologists at research organizations like the Allen Institute for Cell Science are working to take a more integrated and holistic view to better understand the cell and all its complexities.

We are in a new era of cell biology. For centuries, microscopes have illuminated previously invisible worlds, and the recent advancements in microscopy are no different. Breakthrough laser microscopes are not only allowing biologists to image a cell in three dimensions, but also providing the opportunity to reveal hidden patterns inside of living cells.

Find out more about this new microscopy technology capturing cells like never before and what this could mean for the next decade of cell biology on this episode of Focal Point.

My latest hobby is microscopy and I'm enjoying hell out of it, just looking at microorganisms captured from my lawn. There's an entire micro-universe on us, inside us and throughout our environment.

This video is over two years old and I would love to hear more about their recent progress.

KY......

[imaginary girl]

1. Fascinating! Thanks!

[Ocelot II]

2. Fascinating stuff! Thanks for posting.

[Inkey]

3. Truly fantastic ideas

I remember when holographic images were the rage for imaging. Computer enhancement is a real
game changer for delving into biological processes.

[empedocles]

4. Great surprise. TY

[lastlib]

5. That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

I f*cking love science!

[scipan]

6. What power is your microscope and what can you see?

Sounds really interesting but I couldn’t afford a very good microscope.

Thanks for sharing that clip! Complexity underneath complexity!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

9. Hi, Scipan. It does not take a lot of money to get the basics.

Please see my post #8 below for some fun links. If you have a strong curiosity about all things and would be interested in microscopy as a hobby, not a lot is required and once you have your microscope, it's low maintenance.

My interest in this hobby actually started after I got a stereo 'scope a few years back for my granddaughter and I thoroughly tested it prior to Christmas. I also put together a bunch of sample slides for her using stuff from around my yard, house and shop. Thereafter, I saved up some money to get one for this old man to play with.

I've collected some used stereo and compound microscopes off eBay and there are bargains if you're patient. Stereo microscopes are low magnification (say, 1X up to 40X) but are a lot of fun as we inspect details in all sorts of materials from the yard and house - fabrics, leaves, rocks, coins, etc. If you're interested, I suggest starting with a stereo 'scope to help grow your interest because high-power compound 'scopes can be challenging.

Compound microscopes are the type most people envision one to be, with a turret of various objective lenses, eyepieces and a source of light. Total observed magnification is the combination of eyepiece and objective lens magnification. The most common set of objective lens is 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X which with the most common eyepiece (10X) yields 40X, 100X, 400X and 1000X. Anything above around 600X becomes difficult due to lens aberrations and mechanical stability issues. So, to answer your question, I'm using mostly 100X and 400X.

If you're interested in this as a hobby, I'll do what I can to help with things I've learned (some the hard way). Just send me a PM with what you want to do and roughly how much you think you could spend and I'll reply with suggestions. I'm not an expert but have gained enough knowledge to help guide you.

Many of the older 'scopes have very good optics (American Optical, Bausch & Lomb, Swift and Nikon and Olympus have all made great stuff). I got a very good A.O. "Forty" model stereo for under $100 and you can buy a decent used compound 'scope for about $100 to $500.

Olympus, Nikon, Leica and Zeiss are some of the high end 'scopes used in medicine, research and industry and their used 'scopes go for quite a premium if in good condition. I would avoid the low-cost brands you see on Amazon and eBay such as AmScope and OMAX mainly because they have poor reputations on customer service and long-term parts availability, and all of their stuff is made in high volume China with little QC. I prefer the "middle of the road" brands and my favorite is Accu-Scope which I now have two of their used 'scopes I got on eBay. Swift and Motic are good brands as well.

I'm now 74, a retired technical person living on S.S. and staying mostly isolated from COVID. so this stay-at-home hobby is helping with my quality of life. Thanks for your reply and sorry I'm so long-winded and that it took so long to get back with you.

KY.........

[littlemissmartypants]

7. Fantastic! I got my first microscope when I was eleven and

My first dissection kit not long after. This is right up my alley. Some days I think I was born too late because of my love for history. Other days, I think I was born too soon. More and more I want to live to be older and older so I can see the remarkable scientific developments that are yet to come.

Thanks for sharing this, KYEG. ❤

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. Same with me, LMSP and around that same age.

My folks didn't have much money but ever so often, I would get a cool gift for Christmas. Don't remember a lot about it but I once got a little microscope. It came in a hinged wood box and probably came from Sears or Harvey's in Nashville. I had a very strong curiosity about most everything since early youth (Mom said to keep the screwdrivers hidden from me 'cause I'd take everything apart), so I guess they could see my interest in science early on and tried to promote it. Long term however, I drifted toward electronics and got into amateur radio.

Fast forward almost 70 years and I still have that core curiosity and recently started my new hobby of microscopy, and spent a little money I had squirreled away to buy some used ones on eBay. I'm learning the basics now and keeping a couple of baby food jars as mini- terrariums for housing microorganisms. So far, so good and I've even seen a tardigrade along with several other species of critters. My mid-30s son lives here with me and I know he thinks I'm crazy. Remnants of several other hobbies are still laying around, too.....

I thought you might enjoy this video from an excellent microscopy YouTube channel called

Journey to the Microcosmos (see https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g):

The Highs and Lows of Tardigrade Pregnancy
126,108 views
Feb 3, 2020

For you and anyone you know that has an interest in microscopy, this European guy's YouTube channel is good for learning the basics:

Microbehunter Microscopy: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrobehunterMicroscopy

Thanks for your reply and sharing. Please excuse my long-winded post, but I like to share when something eases the blues and is fun.

KY...........

[Judi Lynn]

10. Thank you. 🔬🔭