Ciliate sweeping up bacteria

A Ciliate Protozoan from the New Chicago Salt Marsh Cyanobacterial Mat.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• science
• ecology
• Ciliate
• salt
• marsh
• microscope

[kalinga01]

wow, its amazing footage! can you prod the ciliate with tiny tools?

[WLanier]

Interesting that you ask, KalingA01. I have built a micromanipulator for the field microscope that enables me to take samples of individual bacteria and protozoa, such as this Ciliate. I think a very fine stainless steel fiber could be used to probe the ciliate. I suspect the only reaction from the Ciliate, however, would be quick movement away from the probe.

[TheSonOfDumb]

I'm jealous of your microscope's magnification abilities. I can only magnify objects at 400x but your microscope can magnify stuff up too 1000x :(

[WLanier]

This videomicrograph was recorded in the field at 400x with a Swift FM 31 LWD Field Microscope and a Nikon Coolpix 885 digital camera. I do have a larger laboratory microscope, Hoffman Modulation Contrast optics mounted on an Olympus Irvine body, powered by a150W High Intensity Illuminator feeding light through a light pipe into the microscope. Camera for that is a Coolpix P5100. I put the HMC microscope together over a period of 20-years from spare and used parts.

[WLanier]

I hate to say this, but you [and most of the rest of us]probably have at some time or other. Critters like both the bacteria and the ciliate vastly outnumber us and they are everywhere. Even in bottled water. Oops...!

[EDFWilliams]

You can turn off the webcam microphone via control panel.

[WLanier]

I tried it, it works. But I think I will leave it on, this clip was recorded in the field [Heron's Head Salt Marsh] using a Swift FM-31 Field Microscope and Sony Cybershot - the background bird and wind noise was real.

[arvidsjakovlevs]

Super!

[delgamx2]

Great

[debit256]

omg, like imagine u eat that ciliate

[udiscourse]

i like the sound. cool juxtaposition between the bird call and amoeba :p makes ya think