Guess what this is?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:40 pm

Personally I would never have guessed correctly. Lets see if this image is just as surprising to you as it was to me.

Hint: 10x objective used.

curt0909 · Post by **curt0909** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:52 pm

i'm taking a shot in the dark here... mgso4 in polarized light? If not is it a crystal of some type?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:16 pm

Polarized light - yes. MgSO4 - no. Tip: It is not what you would think it is.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:58 am

Is it from a living organism?

descall · Post by **descall** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:13 am

Jesus? I'm sure I can make out his face. At 10x magnification, this would indeed be a surprise.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:45 am

A piece of plastic wrapping?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:21 am

Yes it is from a living organism. No, it is not Jesus.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:32 am

Is it from a plant, an invertebrate or a simple vertebrate?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:39 am

Vertebrate.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:46 am

Is it a fish scale?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:05 am

Nope. But you are getting warmer.

Saul · Post by **Saul** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:08 am

Jellyfish

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:09 am

pwnell wrote:Nope. But you are getting warmer.

Is it skin? Maybe a thin scab under crossed polars

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:15 am

Even closer, but no. It is the muscle tissue of Sockeye Salmon under polarized illumination. I did not think it would look like that.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:22 am

Ah you shouldn't have told me

I could see something which might be bundles of muscle fibres. Btw if you look up closely into the structure of the muscle fibre you would see I- and A-bands stemming from isotropic and anisotropic which I suspect is a property in conditions of polarized lights (possibly due to the highly ordered crystaline like array or proteins).