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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help Cell Biology
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BBQedIguana BBQedIguana
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8 years ago
I bought my son a microscope for his birthday - he is 12. We are both very scientifically inclined (I am into astronomy), and we've started a microbe aquarium in our house. We have identified some basic things like green algae, rotifers, tardigrades, paramecium, etc. But there are tons of things we are seeing that are hard to identify. We have tried various online resources and keys to track down what we are looking at, with some success.

Can anyone recommend a good book or resource we could use to track down these microbes? Just getting the genus figured out would be fine for most of these things (yesterday, I believe I found an example of Spirogyra). I realize many of the microbes have hundreds or thousands of species in a single genera.

We aren't looking to become molecular biologists (yet!), but we would like to be able to talk knowledgeably about what we are finding. Thank you so much!

Rick in Canada
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#1
Educator
8 years ago
Sounds fun!

I found this guide online, it might help (in source)

In addition, I found another document that might summarize most microorganisms (attached).
Source  http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/
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BBQedIguana Author
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#2
8 years ago
Thanks Bio_Man! We have used that website - it is pretty good! And thanks for the pdf - it certainly gets us started.
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#3
Educator
8 years ago
You're welcome. What's the magnification like on your microscope?
BBQedIguana Author
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#4
8 years ago
I use 100X the most. I use 40X to scan around the slide to find some "action". Rarely I go to 400X if I can find something that will stay still long enough! LOL!

I found some more links with good info (I think I googled "guide to microscopic pond life") and I found the attached PDF.

The critter in the image on my first post - I think that is a Closterium of some sort???
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#5
Educator
8 years ago
Those specs are not bad. Only limitation is that you won't be able to see many of the bacterial species. You might want to learn how to Gram-stain!

Members of the genus Closterium, are usually shaped like rods or crescents, from about 100 to 500 micrometres long (as shown), so it's possible.
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BBQedIguana Author
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#6
8 years ago
Gram staining looks like a great technique. I actually have a slide (pre-prepared) with paramecium caudatum on it, and they are different colours - I was wondering how they set that up!

I would like to go higher power to see bacteria and smaller microbes, and my plans are to buy a better microscope in the near future. The one we are using was only $99, but it has all glass optics and some basic features of better microscopes (focus is done by moving the stage, LED lighting, changable eyepieces/objectives, etc). The one I am thinking of going to is $250 (an AmScope B120B stereo compound microscope) which supports much higher magnifications.

Thanks for that pdf! That's the kind of stuff I am looking for! Where did you find it?
wrote...
#7
Educator
8 years ago
Another idea would be to purchase a microscope that can take digital pictures, surprisingly it isn't too expensive (Celestrons are good).

I found the PDF online, had to do a bit of digging.

Not sure why your specimen are colorful. This website outlines how you typically would stain paramecium (http://www.hope.edu/academic/biology/meciums/paradipp.htm).

Also, the attachment below is a great outline on how to work with protozoa.
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BBQedIguana Author
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#8
8 years ago
I do have a digital camera for my microscope - I have the Celestron 44421 Digital Microscope Imager. It slides in place of the eyepiece. Works great! Still have to work on my focusing, though.
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