Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
07:00
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
Published on: October 4, 2024
584
Art under the Microscope.
Jayant Pai-Dhungat1, Aparna Verma2
1Professor of Medicine (Retd), Department of Medicine, Topiwala National Medical College and Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair Charitable Hospital; Honorable Physician, Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Summary
Greece released commemorative stamps in March 2018 featuring microscopic images of stained human tissue. These stamps highlight the artistic beauty found in scientific histology and pathology examinations.
Area of Science:
- Histology
- Pathology
- Medical Science
Background:
- Commemorative stamps often blend art and culture.
- Microscopic views of human tissue are fundamental in medical diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To showcase the artistic merit of scientific imagery.
- To highlight the intersection of art and science in medical education and practice.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing high-resolution light microscopy.
- Employing specialized staining techniques for human tissue samples.
- Artistic photography of microscopic specimens.
Main Results:
- The stamps display genuine, aesthetically pleasing microscopic images of human tissues.
- The images represent typical views encountered during histopathological examinations.
- Dr. Maria Lambropaulou's expertise in histology-embryology is evident.
Conclusions:
- Microscopic histology and pathology images possess significant artistic value.
- Such imagery can serve educational and commemorative purposes.
- The stamps represent a unique fusion of scientific accuracy and artistic expression.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
4.7K
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
4.7K
01:22Overview of Microscopy Techniques
10.2K
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
10.2K
01:25Overview of Electron Microscopy
9.0K
The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
9.0K
01:03Fixation and Sectioning
4.3K
Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
4.3K
01:08Atomic Force Microscopy
3.4K
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
3.4K
01:28Cryo-electron Microscopy
3.3K
Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
3.3K