Micscape - Main Articles Library
Includes
both current and past articles from Micscape Magazine,
the monthly magazine of Microscopy-UK
To see what
articles have been added this month,
visit the current Micscape Magazine Index
Please note: the
email links in older articles to 'report errors' or 'contact
Editor' may no longer work.
The Micscape
Editor can be contacted via the link in each article to the
current Magazine Index.
To
select an article or articles on a topic of interest, choose the
option you prefer:
- Scroll down to
see a list of all articles in the Library
- Select a
category of interest from the menu bar below. For
example, if you are a newcomer to microscopy, select
'Novices'
Or try our new Search Engine
compiled by Anne Bruce. Click on the
button if you would like to search for a particular topic
using keywords:
- Articles for the Novice How To:-
- Draw
through the Microscope No Camera needed! Feb 96. a
- Start
Out Where to get help Mar.96 a
- Understand
Measurements and Scale in Microscopy Mar.96 a
- Pond-dipping
Apr.96 a
- Amateur
Practical Microscopy Apr.96 a
- Microscopy
tip - glycerine jelly mounts Apr 96 a
- Mini
- beasts and microscopic plants in a garden pond May.96
a
- Using
your Camcorder as a Microscope Jun.96 a
- Technicolour
nature - using polarised light Jun.96 a
- Technicolour
nature - crystals under polarised light Jul.96 a
- Video
microscopy - getting started in black and white Jun.96
a
- 8X
Everything buying and using a hand lens, and use with
your video camera! Jul. 96 a
- 8X
More further studies with a hand lens Aug.96 a
- Samworth's
Snippets History, size, algae and ink! Sep.96 a
- Refractive
Index A note for the beginner. Jan. 97
- Home in close-up TV
/ PC screen, hi-fi. Nov.96
- Home in close-up
Quartz watch, electronic components, CCD chip, LCD
screen. Jan.97
- Samworth's
Snippets Sperm shapes, snowflakes Feb.97
- Guidelines on buying a
microscope Feb.97
- Photomicrography
A few simple set-ups for beginners Mar.97
- Microscopic
feeders Or why you should preserve
your pond sample quickly! Mar.97
- Microscopic Life A few
tips for your viewing pleasure Mar.97
- Home in
close-up Fabrics, onion skin
and human skin Mar.97
- Slide Mounting Made Easy - Loctite Using a glass bond glue to make permanent
mounts May.97
- Home in
close-up Coins, mouldy oranges,
woodlouse, fairy flies - the world's tiniest insect?
May.97
- A salty snippet The
effect of salt on onion cells, an easy 'on the
microslide' experiment May.97
- Slides for use with crossed polars
Slides you can buy from us Jul.97
- Very
basic photomicrography - you don't need expensive
'kit' to have a go Oct.97
- Beginners
tips on collecting and studying protozoa - with links
to Micscape articles describing common types Oct.97
- Three-dimensional
photography through the Microscope - simple
techniques described Oct.97
- Making
dark-field illumination is easy - an introduction to
this versatile and beautiful illumination technique
Dec.97
- Samworth's
Snippets - further experiments with cross polars
Dec.97
- Home-made
hand microtomes - two practical approaches Dec.97
- 'The smallest page on the web' - a stunning suite of pages illustrating some
common microscopic aquatic organisms. Sep.98
- Topical
tips 2 - second in an
occasional series providing a selection of tips on
amateur microscopy. Why not send us your practical tips?
Nov.98
- Permanent
slides: pros and cons - a
practical look at the problems and pleasures of making
slides, with suggestions and tips for mounting. Mar.99
- Introduction
to the optical microscope -
Apr.99
- Photomicrography
on a shoestring budget - Apr.99
- Enjoying
Spring in close-up - The plants and flowers we often take for
granted take on a whole new perspective if they are
studied more closely. Apr.99
- Introduction to microscopy - an exciting new suite of pages for the
beginner with introductory illustrated articles. Includes
links to other Micscape articles. Sep.99
- Getting started in microscopy - a down to earth look at the
basic features of a good microscope, simple lighting and
introductory booklets. Oct.99
- Let
there be light - a look at the main microscopy
lighting techniques and how to achieve them with simple
equipment. A guide for beginners in Larry Legg's unique
down to earth style. Nov.99
Go back to top of page
- Biology
- Nature
walks throughout the year Monthly explorations of the
world in close-up Nov.95 - Oct. 96
- Blood
and Blood diseases. Part 1 of mini-series Nov.95 a
- Stomata
- how plants 'breathe' Jun.96 a
- Worm
dissection May.96 a
- Plant
adaptations How do plants adapt to dry or wet
habitats Aug.96 a
- Seasonal
Berries A close-up look, plus their folklore. Dec. 96
a
- Samworth's
Snippets Swan mussel larva Mar.97
- Photomicrograph
of a swan mussel larvae Update on previous article
Jun.97
- Mammalian
hair Looking at hair damage under the microscope
May.97
- Comparison
of leaf epidermis in different species A new use for
nail varnish Jul.97
- The
Cell from Hell Pfiesteria piscicida Aug.97
- Marine
diatoms - 'glass jewels' of the sea Sep.97
- 'Those
who live in glass houses' - a gentle introduction to
diatoms, illustrated by superb line drawings Oct.97
- Fern flora on a garden wall
- look for ferns in your garden Oct.97
- Image
of the Month - marine diatom photo' gallery Oct.97
- The
garden spider - why it doesn't get stuck in its own
web Nov.97
- The
leaping dancer - the jumping spider Nov.97
- The
mysterious 'carpenter's rule' diatom - the intriguing
movements of a colonial diatom of the genus Bacillaria
Jan.98
- Image
of the Month: Unidentified objects adhering to hairs on a
fly leg - can you identify these tiny objects. This
is a genuine query and not a quiz! Jan.98
- What
were those minute mystery objects on a fly's leg shown in
Jan. 98 Image of the Month (above)? - brochosomes,
but the probable answer is even more mysterious! Feb.98
- Brochosomes - tiny objects excreted by
leafhoppers. A challenge for the amateur?
- a summary of responses to our January 'Image of the
Month' enquiry Mar.98
- A
look at an old slide - the intricate sculptured
skeletons of Radiolaria Jan.98
- Growth
of a starfish - the fascinating stages in the
development of an Echinoderm Feb.98
- Image
of the month- Garden Spider jaws between crossed
polars Feb.98
- How fast is an amoeba?
- a summary of an interesting chat prompted by an email
query Mar.98
- Classification of living things - an illustrated overview May.98
- Comb jellies -
beautiful marine organisms May.98
- Foraminifera -
beautiful micro-fossils in chalk Jul.98
- Mosses and liverworts
- 'simple' plants ideal for the microscope Jul.98
- Stilt walker - the
remarkable harvestman or daddy-long-legs Jul.98
- UFO: unidentified floating object - can you identify this marine plankton? Jul.98
- Aug. 98 Image of the Month - an SEM image showing the remarkable surface
detail preserved in a very old leaf, check it out to see
how old! Aug.98
- Sea squirts - our distant cousins - a beautifully illustrated article on these
intriguing marine organisms. With the UFO (unidentified floating object) from last
month identified. Aug.98
- Finding the recent chalk makers - going on a sea-side holiday? Here's a guide to where to hunt for beautiful
microscopic subjects on a beach, and the sort of
coastline to look for. Aug.98
- Foraminifera sand - an
introduction to 'forams', with a look at a world famous
sand from 'Dog's Bay', Ireland. Aug.98
- Sponge spicules - are
attractive, delicate siliceous objects. Illustrated with
images of painstakingly arranged microslides. Aug.98
- Marine debris from the Mediterranean Sea - having a late summer holiday in the 'Med'?
Take a closer look at the beach! Sep.98
- The Rusty-backed fern
- as autumn approaches, ferns are fascinating plants to
study. Sep.98
- A closer look at mushrooms - a seasonal look with plenty of interest on
the macroscopic and microscopic scale. Oct.98
- Big spiders - a fascinating article on the tarantula and
other big spiders, including their biology and
associations with man. Oct.98
- Tunicates
with salad on the side - a
fascinating article on the tunicates or sea squirts.
Nov.98
- Collecting
and mounting foraminifera - continuing our series, a detailed look at how
to collect and prepare slides of these beautiful
organisms. Nov.98
- The
spider's web part I - a look at the spider's web and the remarkable
properties of spider's silk. Nov.98
- Xenophyophores,
the giants of the protozoan world - the single celled
creatures 10cm (yes cm!) across, which roam the ocean
depths. Nov.98
- Spider's
web part II - a look at the spider's web, the remarkable
properties of spider's silk and man's use of the web
silk. Dec.98
- Moulds - a fascinating look at
the common moulds like Penicillium found in the home.
Dec.98
- Micscape
image gallery - a colourful image of the palate of Haliotis, a
type of mollusc. Dec.98
- Forams as
indicators - the beautiful foraminifera are useful
indicators eg. for monitoring pollution. Jan.99
- Barnacles - the larval stages are very attractive and
fascinating to study. Jan.99
- Moulds - are
often found on decaying fruit etc. in the kitchen and
worth studying. Jan.99
- Image of
the month
- fascinating SEM photo's
of parts of plants, courtesy of the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh. Jan.99
- Literary
aspects of the foraminifera for the amateur microscopist - a brief history of the study of these
attractive protozoa and selected literature resource.
Illustrated by wonderful arranged mounts of forams.
Feb.99
- Marine
diatoms from Ibicui beach Rio de Janeiro - the silica shelled
diatoms are beautiful algae. Feb.99
- Hungry
utrics - an intriguing look at
the bladderwort (Utricalia), a carnivorous freshwater
plant. Mar.99
- Bristle
worms and their larvae - a fascinating group of mainly marine organisms
but often overlooked. Mar.99
- Monocystis - an illustrated look at this parasite of the
earthworm, and how to prepare slides. Mar.99
- Polysiphonia,
a red algae - a very attractive
algae with a fascinating life cycle. Mar.99
- Making a
study of bat droppings - Apr.99
- Things
that don't belong where they are
- jellyfish, 'shrimps' and sponges only occur in the sea
- or do they? Apr.99
- The
Castle of Ambras and the smaller shells found in it's grounds.
Jun.99
- Radiolaria - the
shells are one of the most spectacular subjects for the
microscope. Jun.99
- Pollen Jul.99
- Diatoms on
strings -
an illustrated look at some of the
beautiful diatoms that adopt colonial string-like
formations. Aug.99
- Mitosis - an illustrated look at the stages of this
form of cell division which can easily be seen in
prepared sections eg. of plant roots. Aug.99
- Mounting
radiolaria - a look at how to
prepare permanent slides of these beautiful microscopic
silica shells. Aug.99
- 'Micro
flowers' -
the attractive tinier flowers growing wild or in the
garden are worth closer study. Aug.99
- The
'Rockers' and 'wallers' - a look at some of the attractive smaller
landshells that inhabit rocky habitats or live on walls.
Aug.99
- Sponge
city - a
look at the sponges and their fascinating structure.
Sponge spicules are a spectacular subject for the
microscope. Aug.99
- 'Micro flowers' - a new section on the
Microscopy UK site to encourage an interest in the
smaller flowers we often take for granted. Please send in
your images! Sep.99
- Poppies
- an attractive flower when viewed in close-up with
plenty of features of interest. Sep.99
- Freshwater shells - a look at some of the
attractive shells large and small that inhabit
freshwater. Sep.99
- How do non woody plants stay
upright? - look
at the cellular structures of a plant that provide the
support. Oct.99
- Gromia, Gromia wherefore art thou Gromia? - a look at one of the more
unusual marine protozoa that can often occur in fish
tanks. Oct.99
- Landshell image gallery - a further look at some
species of smaller shells. Oct.99
- Eyes - the microscopic structure of
eyes in different creatures. Dec.99
- Pollen tubes - this'll make your eyes water! - how to
germinate pollen grains on onion skin and study the tube
growth under the microscope. Dec.99
- Landshell
image gallery -
the final gallery in the series showing some of the
fascinating species of smaller shells that can be found.
Dec.99
- Palynology
- a microscopic view of the past - pollen, spores and plant fragments buried in
sediments can reveal an insight into the climate and
plant life millions of years ago. Dec.99
- The chaetognath, a strange creature - an illustrated look at an intriguing marine
planktonic organism. Jan.00
- What we can discover on a spider's leg - a photographic tour and
description of the many features on a spider's leg.
Jan.00
- Take a deep breath - a fascinating look at the different features
which animals from Amoeba to man use to respire. Jan.00
- Image Gallery: plant section in polarised light - Jan.00
- Image gallery: digital 'snapshots' of the fauna
and flora near my home - attractive macroscopic images of the wildlife
of Catalunya, Spain. Feb.00
- Diatoms in dark-field - the beautiful structures of
diatoms look particularly stunning in dark-field
illumination. Roland Mortimer, Brazil shows some
examples. Feb.00
- Water movement through a plant Mar.00
- Diatoms in dark-field, Part II Mar.00
- Foram gallery Mar.00
- Plant hairs Mar.00
- Discoveries
- New
Life Form: Symbion pandora Discovery of the
Year! Jan.96 a
- Bryozoa
A Mystery from the Antarctic - a floating Bryozoan new to
science! Mar.96 a
- Nanobes - are these the smallest
living organisms yet found? Apr.99
- Nanobes
- an update on these new life forms that challenge our
concept of how small living organisms can be. Dec.99
Go back to top of page
- Pond Life
- Paramecium.
Dec.95
- Two
Rare British desmids. Nov.95
- The
Stentor. Dec.95
- Some
Observations on Freshwater Algae Jan.96
- The
Good, the Bad and the Ugly Mar.96
- Podophrya
- an interesting ciliate Mar.96
- Cyclops
- the one-eyed pond organism Apr.96
- Observations
on the Desmidiaceae - desmids (beautiful algae)
Apr.96
- Desmids
(algae) under polarised light May.96
- Mini
- beasts and microscopic plants in a garden pond
May.96(Novice) a
- A
rare form of a beautiful desmid Jun.96
- Moller,
a Victorian arranger of diatom slides Jun.96
- What
are desmids? Aug.96
- Rotifers
and how to find them Aug.96
- Rare
desmids from Scotland Attractive algae Sep.96
- Images
of pond-life from video Oct.96
- Hydra
Oct.96
- Collecting
freshwater life Or how not to! Nov.96
- Freshwater
algae course A residential course. Nov.96
- Interesting
fauna from a garden pond Jan. 97
- Microscopic
feeders Or why you should preserve
your pond sample quickly! Mar.97
- Microscopic Life A few
tips for your viewing pleasure Mar.97
- Virtual
pond dip Getting to know the
commoner organisms Mar.97
- Woodlouse or waterlouse? An interesting pond organism Apr.97
- A comical beastie Coleps
- a fascinating but voracious protozoa Apr.97
- A desmid form new to the British Flora Desmids are attractive algae Apr.97
- On the desmid new to Britain further notes on the article above May.97
- Algae identification A
case of mis-identification - a cautionary tale! Apr.97
- Didinium - a master feeder A protozoan with attitude! May.97
- Life in a drop of water
Just how much is there in a single drop Jun.97
- Early Illustrations of Desmids Drawings of algae dated 1786 Jun.97
- Stars of the Marshes -
Algae from a Dutch fen, illustrated by superb pen and ink
drawings Aug.97
- Some Notes on the Desmid Genicularia - Desmids are attractive algae Aug.97
- Notes on the movements of desmids Sep.97
- Image of the month -
zygospore of the desmid Staurodesmus Nov.97
- An uncommon British desmid - desmids are attractive algae Nov.97
- Volvox - the
jewel of the pond Dec.97
- Pond fairies - the
freshwater bryozoa Plumatella repens Dec.97
- Birth of a rotifer -
'captured' on video stills Dec.97
- Optical and SEM examination of some species of
the desmid genus Euastrum
- SEM reveals interesting detail on these attractive
algae Jan.98
- Jaws! A Micscape Wonder Article - the beautiful and awesome features of a
rotifer captured on video Jan.98
- 'Tears
of a swan' - Lacrymaria olor, the 'giraffe' of the
protozoan world! Feb.98
- The
rotifer jaw - a look at the jaws of the rotifer
Brachionus Feb.98
- Notes
on the desmid Euastrum crassum - desmids are
attractive algae Feb.98
- Image of the month -
the rotifer Brachionus rubens Mar.98
- The desmids of Thursley Common, UK - desmids are attractive algae Apr.98
- A protozoan undergoes binary fission - with some unusual help! Apr.98
- The Institute for the promotion of the less than
one millimetre - a look at
aquatic micro-organisms in 3D! Apr.98
- Desmids and other algae: primary producers in
the food chain - desmids are
attractive algae May.98
- Hydras - fascinating
freshwater organisms. Jun.98
- More on desmid eaters
- a look at a rotifer and protozoa which eat these algae.
Jun.98
- Suctoria, ciliates in disguise - a fascinating protozoan with an enormous
appetite for other protozoans! Aug.98
- 'The smallest page on the web' - a stunning suite of pages illustrating some
common microscopic aquatic organisms. Sep.98
- Conochilus - a
beautiful colonial rotifer found in freshwater. Sep.98
- Spirostomum - a protozoan with the fastest contraction in
the micro-world! Oct.98
- Desmids multiplying by dividing - a look at how these
beautiful algae reproduce. Oct.98
- Institute for
the promotion of the less than one millimetre - Desmids
in 3D - a new addition to this
series showing these attractive algae. Also check out
Diatoms, Stentor and Spirogyra on menu bar in suite.
Nov.98
- Micscape
image gallery - arranged slides of diatoms and holothurian
plates. Staggering examples of the art of arranging
microscopic objects. Nov.98
- The water
net, Hydrodictyon - an
illustrated look at this beautiful and intriguing algae,
now a pest in some areas of the world. Dec.98
- Protozoan
houses - a fascinating article
on the protozoa who build their own home, and how to find
and study them. Dec.98
- Spirogyra - an easy
to find 'classic' algae. A beautifully illustrated
article showing reproduction by conjugation. Jan.99
- Haematococcus - an attractive algae commonly found in bird
baths which can colour the bottom deposit and water red.
Jan.99
- Video
gallery - new series for '99.
Share your video clips with us. This month the beating
cilia of a protozoan. Jan.99
- An
unusual protozoa? - an amateur microscopist
seeks help identifying a protozoan. Jan.99
- Further
thoughts on an unusual protozoa
- identification of the unusual protozoa query in last
month's issue. Feb.99
- A stage
aquarium for the examination of samples in fluids - an easy
to make but very useful stage aquarium for studying pond
life etc. Mar.99
- Image of
the month - a stunning image of
the protozoan Paramecium by phase contrast and taken with
electronic flash. Mar.99
- Image
gallery: diatom arrangements -
the intricate shapes and detail of these silica-shelled
algae are a favourite amongst microscopists. Mar.99
- Image
gallery: the desmid Micrasterias truncata Apr.99
- Microbe Movie
Stars - a new multimedia feature showing high quality
animated gifs of attractive microscopic creatures. This
month, the rotifers Brachionus and Limnias. May.99
- Batrachospermum - an illustrated look at an attractive algae
found in streams. By Gary Baird, US. May.99
- Video
gallery: 'dance of the Spirochaetes' - phase contrast video
studies of these tiny bacteria. May.99
- Image
gallery: protozoa portraits - a
selection of high quality images of protozoa taken with
electronic flash. May.99
- Hunting for
'bears' in the backyard - where
to find 'water bears' in the garden. A fascinating
aquatic organism and one of the 'toughest' creatures
known. May.99
- Water fleas - one of the easiest creatures to find in a
pond, but one of the most fascinating. Jun.99
- Video
gallery: Protozoa Portraits - two video clips ('avi'
and gif format) showing the beating cilia of a protozoan
and the extending pseudopod of an Amoeba. Jun.
99
- Zygnema - an illustrated look at an attractive
filamentous algae which is easy to find. Jun.99
- The giant
water flea Leptodora kindtii
Jul.99
- UFO: unidentified floating object - the fascinating algae Oedogonium.
Sep.99
- Microscopic freshwater crustacea - a superbly illustrated look at some common
types of crustacea. Sep.99
- Life in the torrent - a fascinating insight into the aquatic moss Fontinalis,
and the invertebrate community it supports. Sep.99
- Collecting in the torrent - practical tips on collecting from fast flowing
streams. Oct.99
- Culturing freshwater organisms - some easy methods for growing
cultures. Oct.99
- Microfossil and nannofossil image gallery - some of the common forms that can be found in
many rocks using a simple 'peel' technique. Oct.99
- Freshwater jellyfish - a fascinating look at the
sexual reproduction of a freshwater species. Dec.99
- Water mites - an introduction to this lesser studied group
with stunning images. Dec.99
- Micscape Image Gallery: 'Tough test' diatoms for
the microscope
- two super images of test diatoms taken with an optical
microscope pushed close to its limit. Dec.99
- Welcome to
the wonderfully weird world of rotifers - an insight into the wonderful variety of the
forms and habits of rotifers. Dec.99
- Rotifer
image gallery -
stunning images of rotifers and notes by Wim van Egmond,
Netherlands. Linked to and complements above article.
Nov.99
- Freshwater
jellyfish - a
fascinating look at one of the few freshwater species and
its life cycle. Nov.99
- Test
diatoms - what you can expect to see even with modest
optics - how to
get the best out of a modest microscope when pushed to
the limit no matter what the subject. Nov.99
- Spring thaw collecting Mar.00
Go back to
top of page
- Techniques
- Deep-field amateur microscopy May.96
- Technicolour nature - using polarised light Jun.96 Novice a
- Technicolour nature - crystals under polarised
light Part 2 of this series for
Novices Jul. 96 a
- Using your Camcorder as a Microscope Jun.96 a
- Video microscopy - getting started in black and
white Jun.96 a
- 8X Everything buying
and using a hand lens, and use with your video camera!
Jul.96 a
- Why use video?- the
benefits when studying protozoa Jul.96
- 8X More further
studies with a hand lens Aug.96 a
- Light box for a stereo microscope Oct.96
- Samworth's Snippets
Paracetamol under cross polars, Norbert's ruling machine.
Dec. 96
- Electronic Flash System for Photomicrography Feb.97
- Microscopy on the move
Using a portable microscope away from home Apr.97
- Video microscopy A
well-known amateur discusses the setup he uses Apr.97
- Slide Mounting Made Easy - Loctite Using a glass bond glue to make permanent
mounts May.97
- A salty snippet The
effect of salt on onion cells, an easy 'on the
microslide' experiment May.97
- Subjects for Polarised Light Microscopy Transforming many microscopy subjects into
technicolour images Jun.97
- Stream Dipping An
introduction Jul.97
- Topical tips - send us
your hints and tips, here's a few to kick off Oct.97
- Microscopy
around the home - studying
Brownian motion (complements above) Nov.97
- Magic windows - making
slides for viewing between crossed polars Nov.97
- Experiments with a miniature CCD camera - for video microscopy Dec.97
- Further Notes on the Micscape Article
'Experiments with a miniature CCD camera' - the pros and cons of infra-red sensitivity!
Jan.98
- Simple
'top lighting' with a compound microscope - or how to
study subjects you can't get light through! Feb.98
- A
history lesson on cross polars how Polaroid was
developed, with stunning image of Vitamin C Feb.98
- Oblique
illumination - or why having
the mirror or condenser out of alignment sometimes helps!
Apr.98
- Simple video microscopy (stills) using infra-red
light - revealing detail of
insects, shells etc. Jun.98
- Have you tried dark-field on that specimen? - many subjects benefit from the technique
Jun.98
- Poor man's differential interference contrast
(DIC)?: - with the help of
image processing software! Jul.98
- Incident lighting and the Lieberkuhn speculum - a look at Victorian and more recent methods
of incident lighting. Sep.98
- Inverted microscopes -
practical advice on making home-made equipment for this
type of microscope. Sep.98
- Inexpensive water-immersion microscopy - practical advice on this interesting
technique. Sep.98
- Black
and white photography - practical advice on
this under-used and under-rated form of photography
through the microscope. Nov.98
- Micscape
product review: The Eurocam VC5500 - a detailed look at this versatile product
which captures both macro and microscopic images. Dec.98
- Make your
own silver - how to grow silver
crystals on a microscope slide to produce seasonal
looking images. Dec.98
- A simple
glycerine jelly heater - plagued by bubbles in glycerine jelly mounts?
Here's a simple heater to remove them. Feb.99
- Topical
tips 3 -
how an A4 flatbed scanner can be used to catalogue
microscope slides as well as create digitised images of
large whole mounts. Plus an easy to make portable
microscope. Feb.99
- Oblique
and axial illumination - can be
used to study opaque subjects under the microscope.
Apr.99
- Notes on
adapting microscopes for phase contrast - Apr.99
- Adapting a
flash gun for photomicrography
- a simple but effective adaptation of a flash gun for
photomicrography. Jun.99
- Adapting
the Open University portable microscope for use with a
white LED light source Jul.99
- Silverizing
'forams' - silver staining
foraminifera. Plus notes on making micro-forceps and
micro-needles to handle 'forams'. Jul.99
- Observation
tank for examining microscopic life forms from freshwater
habitats -
a practical project for making a thin section tank.
Jul.99
- Digital
macroscopy on a shoestring -
secondhand high definition video cameras and lenses from
various sources can be the basis of a very high quality
macro setup. Aug.99
- Experiments
in attaching a video camera to a microscope - domestic camcorders can
be adapted for video microscopy. Aug.99
- Cleaning and adjusting the Open University
McArthur portable microscope - a clear description with many
illustrations of how to service this amazing microscope.
Sep.99
- Biological polarized light microscopy - cross polarised light can
reveal fascinating aspects of live creatures, e.g. the
muscles of Daphnia. Sep.99
- Using a white LED in the Open University
portable microscope - a simple method of providing lighting for
this popular microscope. Oct.99
- Counting the dots: giving microscopes a
'workout' with diatom test slides - prepared slides of diatom
species can be used to check out a microscope's
performance. Oct.99
- Getting closer in macro mode with digicams - simple supplementary lenses
in front of fixed focus digital cameras can greatly
extend their macro capabilities. Dec.99
- Digital dilemmas - a look at the pros and cons of
different routes for the hobbyist to directly digitise
macro/micro images. Dec.99
- Forays
into 'consumercam' photomicroscopy - consumer digital stills cameras can give
excellent results with a microscope. Nov.99
- Producing
numbered grids for display and identification on arranged
microscope slides - how to create attractive grids
or lettering for arranged slides of e.g. 'forams' just
using simple photographic techniques and imaging
software. Nov.99
- Digital
macroscopy in autumn with a flatbed scanner - scanners are very versatile
macroscopes for some subjects. Autumn provides a wealth
of suitable subjects like leaves, fungi and ferns. Dec.99
- Radiolarian shells: three small projects in
digital imaging for microscopists - create stunning animations
from stills. Jan.00
- Fiber optics light, a home project - cold light sources are
expensive. A design for the experienced DIY enthusiast or
electrician. Jan.00
- A method for preserving certain insects and
arachnids - or
a new use for nail varnish! Jan.00
- Update on 'Forays into photomicrography with
digicams' -
further tips on using a consumer digital stills camera
over a microscope. Includes tips on DIY camera supports.
Jan.00
- Multi-coloured macro - common objects around the
home can be used to create attractive images when viewed
in polarised light and photographed in close-up. Jan.00
- Photographing snowflakes - techniques and tips for
photographing these elusive subjects. Feb.00
- How to preserve a snowflake - how to encapsulate snowflakes
using various techniques. Feb.00
- Take your (old) stereo microscope outdoors - how an old stereo 'scope can be used to good
effect to study subjects outside. Feb.00
- Vital staining for protozoa and other related
mounting techniques - some valuable techniques for staining
protozoa whilst alive. Feb.00
- The construction of a Victorian
type dry-mounted slide - how to reconstruct a splendid 'papered' slide
of Foraminifera. Feb.00
- Illumination variants - a variation of oblique
illumination which gives attractive results with subjects
like diatoms. Feb.00
- A low cost set-up for taking digital images
through a microscope and for macroscopy - how for a few dollars,
microscopy and digital image capture is fun using simple
equipment. Feb.00
- Mic-UK slide-making projects - a down to earth style look at
how various techniques can be used to make your own
slides. This month, an introducion to hand-sectioning and
wax-embedding. Feb.00
- Illumination variants, diffuse lighting Mar.00
- The repair of broken coverslips on paper covered
slides Mar.00
- Using fiber optic illumination Mar.00
- Quick trials using a two megapixel camera for
photomicrography
(Nikon Coolpix 700) Mar.00
Go back to
top of page
⌐ Microscopy-UK / Micscape and
their contributors.