Amoeba - Scanning Electron Microscope images
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Amoeba - Scanning Electron Microscope images
<disclaimer mode on>
Looking at Scanning Electron Microscope images gives a very different perspective as the amount of detail is sometimes overwhelming. Also, the image is comparable to a reflected light image - no details of the inside are revealed.
As I have very little comparable reference images, it is hard to say whether things are artefacts of the preparation or "real".
<disclaimer mode off>
Having said all this, here are some images of an amoeba. The amoeba has a very interesting pattern on it's cell coating. Amoebas very often have stowaways, here a fairly large diatom. The smaller diatom in the foreground is just being eaten.
Looking at microbes from the top is pretty boring, you want to tilt the stage. This gives very nice and fascinating perspectives in very small dimensions: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... =choano%2A
With the Scanning Electron Microscope, the beam comes from the top and the detector is at the side, at an angle of approx. 45°. To compare this with a light microscope, this is as if your light comes from 45° and your lens is parallel to the specimen. If you tilt the image in the direction of the detector (the light) there are areas that will have shadow. In addition to this, edges emit more electrons and thus tend to be overly bright which easily results in clipping. To make matters worse, when I sit in front of black and white images in a darkened room all evening, my sense for correct image brightness seems to get confused, too.
I am sometimes struggling with post processing of SEM images. I can take 256 bit TIFF images, up to approximately 3000x2000 pixels. Ideas and tips for post processing are highly appreciated. At the moment I am using Topaz details.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy these images.
Best regards
Ecki
Looking at Scanning Electron Microscope images gives a very different perspective as the amount of detail is sometimes overwhelming. Also, the image is comparable to a reflected light image - no details of the inside are revealed.
As I have very little comparable reference images, it is hard to say whether things are artefacts of the preparation or "real".
<disclaimer mode off>
Having said all this, here are some images of an amoeba. The amoeba has a very interesting pattern on it's cell coating. Amoebas very often have stowaways, here a fairly large diatom. The smaller diatom in the foreground is just being eaten.
Looking at microbes from the top is pretty boring, you want to tilt the stage. This gives very nice and fascinating perspectives in very small dimensions: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... =choano%2A
With the Scanning Electron Microscope, the beam comes from the top and the detector is at the side, at an angle of approx. 45°. To compare this with a light microscope, this is as if your light comes from 45° and your lens is parallel to the specimen. If you tilt the image in the direction of the detector (the light) there are areas that will have shadow. In addition to this, edges emit more electrons and thus tend to be overly bright which easily results in clipping. To make matters worse, when I sit in front of black and white images in a darkened room all evening, my sense for correct image brightness seems to get confused, too.
I am sometimes struggling with post processing of SEM images. I can take 256 bit TIFF images, up to approximately 3000x2000 pixels. Ideas and tips for post processing are highly appreciated. At the moment I am using Topaz details.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy these images.
Best regards
Ecki
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Amoeba
Nice shots, but how do you preserve an organism that is over 90% water to be photographed in a vacuum? From what I know you infuse the protozoa with a uranium compund, but I find it hard enough to apply chemicals in light microscopy.
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
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These are high vacuum mode images. The preparation process was similar to the one I explained here: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... t=electron
Best,
Ecki
Best,
Ecki