Pond life Revisted

The subjects of my interests about microscopy changes from time to time.  I have been crazy about rocks and minerals this summer.   The temperature here has been dipped down to mid 40s degree F (7 degree C) in the early morning although the mid day temperature is still comfortably at mid 70s.  I got to go out to collect some pond specimens for observation before it is too cold for any organism to be active.  I choose different collection site, Briscoe Park Located at Snellville, GA.

The number and variety have been drastically reduced from my early summer observation.  Again, I found seed shrimp (Ostracod) in my collection.

Seed Shrimp (Ostracod)

First time, I observed a dinoflagellate (Ceratium Furca). It is a flagellate protist. I can barely see the flagella because the flagella are relatively transparent.

Diatom

filamentous Green Algae

Unidentified Algae Colony

The specimen was collected in 60 mL tube and split into a several 7 mL tubes and centrifuged in my homemade centrifuge.

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Dissecting Daylily (Hemerocallis spp) Flower

Daylilies belong to Genus Hemerocallis.  They are short-lived summer flowers but they are blooming all sommer long.  The full bloom flowers only last a few days but one flower bloom after another.  They are absolutely gorgeous around the border of my garden during summer times.  I picked a flower and dissected it to looked what’s inside with my newly acquired Ample Scientific SM Plus stereo microscope.

I first peel the flower Petals off.  The texture of the surface looks like strings of water balloon woven together to form the fabric of yellow beads.   

Daylily Flower Petal at 40X

 Once the petals are off, it is easier to place the Carpel and Stamen on the stage.  The ovary also become visible.   

Stigma of Daylily Flower at 20X

Daylily Stigma at 40X

The Tip of Daylily Stigma

Daylily Anther at 20X

The Anther of Daylily Flower at 40X

I gently tap the anther on the top of a slide (pre-smeared with vaseline so the pollens would not roll around.) then looked at them with a compound microscope.   

Daylily Pollen at 100X

Daylily Pollen at 400X. A series of photos were taken at different image depth.

The Ovary of Daylily Flower

I cut open the ovary.  The eggs are apparently fertilized.  Some unmatured seeds are clearly visible.   

The Ovary of Daylily Flower. Some unmatured seeds are clearly visible.

Enlarge View of Daylily Seeds in the Ovary

The mysterious insect that found on the daylily flower.

The daylily flower pictures are taken with Tucsen CMOS 3.0 MP microscope camera.

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Molting Daphnia

While experimenting with my home made dark field.  I captured a molting Daphnia.

A molting Daphnia is still in its old outfit.

a molting Daphnia is trying to shack off its old shell.

This Daphnia shell is finally came off.

Daphnia and its old shell (exposure compensation -1)

Daphnia and its old shell (exposure compensation -2)

Related Article: Home-made dark field microscopy

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