Arcella (with gas?)
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- Charles Krebs
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Arcella (with gas?)
Well, it does appear so, but not because of a bad meal. Get to that later.
First... I found this Arcella racing around a recent wet mount. Now they don't move all that fast but I needed 33 images for the stack and during that time it would move from one side of the field of view to the other. (That may not look very far here, but it traveled about 1/2 its body width. These images are substantial crops). Not only that, it would also rotate at the same time. I thought I would give it a try anyway, and told myself if Zerene could align this mess I would have to give Rik an "atta-boy"! So kudos to Rik... his alignment routine did wonders
After taking the first image, I looked at other subjects on the slide and returned to the amoeba 5 minutes later. The test now had 4 large gas bubbles inside. So I quickly took the second image. Occasionally I have come across a testate amoeba with a bubble, but I was surprised to see this occur to this degree in one I had just been photographing.
Some hasty research provided some observations on why this occurs. Briefly... if the amoeba is unhappy with its surroundings, or its orientation, or the amount of oxygen in the water, the production of these bubbles inside the test allow it to float upward to a new location or orientation. It's interesting. Here are a couple of Google book excerpts that discuss it:
https://books.google.com/books?id=8QHQz ... la&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=6ODGv ... la&f=false
The images are DIC with 40/0.95 S Plan Apo. Canon EOS R camera.
Interesting how in the second image it appears that the large gas bubble may have displaced some of the amoeba, as you can see it around the periphery of the shell.
First... I found this Arcella racing around a recent wet mount. Now they don't move all that fast but I needed 33 images for the stack and during that time it would move from one side of the field of view to the other. (That may not look very far here, but it traveled about 1/2 its body width. These images are substantial crops). Not only that, it would also rotate at the same time. I thought I would give it a try anyway, and told myself if Zerene could align this mess I would have to give Rik an "atta-boy"! So kudos to Rik... his alignment routine did wonders
After taking the first image, I looked at other subjects on the slide and returned to the amoeba 5 minutes later. The test now had 4 large gas bubbles inside. So I quickly took the second image. Occasionally I have come across a testate amoeba with a bubble, but I was surprised to see this occur to this degree in one I had just been photographing.
Some hasty research provided some observations on why this occurs. Briefly... if the amoeba is unhappy with its surroundings, or its orientation, or the amount of oxygen in the water, the production of these bubbles inside the test allow it to float upward to a new location or orientation. It's interesting. Here are a couple of Google book excerpts that discuss it:
https://books.google.com/books?id=8QHQz ... la&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=6ODGv ... la&f=false
The images are DIC with 40/0.95 S Plan Apo. Canon EOS R camera.
Interesting how in the second image it appears that the large gas bubble may have displaced some of the amoeba, as you can see it around the periphery of the shell.
Your photographs are, as always, just mind boggling there Charles and sitting here pondering this single celled animalcule within its test even more so. It is amazing how it can build so intricate a structure for itself to call home and to show such an intelligence as how to maintain it within its microhabitat.
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Amazing images, and an interesting post. I didn't know about the gas bubble trick. Very cool!
It Came from the Pond (Blog): http://www.itcamefromthepond.com/
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Arcella
Nice shots. From what I have read, arcella can also make a bubble on one side to facilltate flipping over. Between making tests and this behavior I marvel at the capabilities for a creature with no brain.
Mike
Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
- Robert Berdan
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Nice Focus stack
Nice Focus stack and lots of crisp detail. They move slowly, but I guess if you are making taking lots of images to stack and they rotate it can be challenging.
RB
RB
Arcella (with gas?)
Indeed eyeopening
Excellent!
Thanks for sharing this great piece of work Charles.
Excellent!
Thanks for sharing this great piece of work Charles.
Regards
Pierre
Pierre