Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
14:14
Visualization of Cortex Organization and Dynamics in Microorganisms, using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: May 1, 2012
11.1K
Looking at tardigrades in a new light: using epifluorescence to interpret structure
E S Perry1, W R Miller, S Lindsay
1Center for Biodiversity, Unity College, Unity, Maine, 04988, U.S.A.
Journal of Microscopy
|October 31, 2014
Summary
Epifluorescence microscopy using ultraviolet autofluorescence reveals tardigrade structures. This technique enhances visualization of cuticle, claws, and bucco-pharyngeal apparatus for detailed taxonomic analysis.
Area of Science:
- Microscopy
- Zoology
- Tardigrade Biology
Background:
- Tardigrade cuticle, claws, and bucco-pharyngeal apparatus contain endogenous fluorochromes.
- Traditional microscopy can struggle to resolve fine details of these structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate epifluorescence microscopy with UV autofluorescence for tardigrade structure visualization.
- To demonstrate the utility of this technique for taxonomic identification.
Main Methods:
- Epifluorescence microscopy utilizing ultraviolet excitation.
- Autofluorescence imaging of tardigrade specimens.
Main Results:
- Detailed documentation of tardigrade cuticle, claws, and bucco-pharyngeal apparatus via autofluorescence.
- Clear visualization of echiniscid plate subdivisions and boundaries.
- Accurate depiction of textural elements like pores, granules, papillae, and tubercles on plates.
Conclusions:
- Epifluorescence microscopy with UV autofluorescence is an effective method for studying tardigrade morphology.
- This technique provides superior resolution for taxonomic features compared to other methods.
Related Concept Videos
01:05Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
11.0K
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.
11.0K
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
12.2K
Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been...
12.2K