scipsy:

Diatom (via AWI)

scipsy:

Scanning electron microscope image of pollen from Sildalcea malviflora (prairie hollyhock). (via)

scipsy:

A coloured scanning electron micrograph of a wasp’s head (order Hymenoptera) (via Telegraph)

infinity-imagined:

Coccolithophores are microscopic algae that first appeared 220 million years ago, and flourished during the cretaceous period.  They produce peculiar plates called cocoliths out of calcium carbonate, and  incorporate them into an external shell.  They constantly remove carbon from the atmosphere as they die and sink to the ocean floor, producing chalk.  This is an important feedback system in the global carbon cycle.

Seriously, how does cellular machinery produce these structures?  Life is amazing.

coccoliths?

(Source: infinity-imagined)

scipsy:

Pollen of Birch Tree (by FEI Company)

maxistentialist:

Penicillium, the genus of fungus that makes the white rind on brie cheese and the blue veins in blue cheese, is named after the latin word for “paintbrush” because of its shape.

Wolfgang Stuppy, Seed Morphologist Extraordinaire
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2010/06/21/127984669/wolfgang-stuppy-seed-morphologist-extraordinaire?sc=emaf

scipsy:

(via theonewithouteyebrows)

scipsy:

Stoma (by Adam Dimech)

A Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a closed stoma on the leaf of a Gymea Lily plant (Doryanthes excela), shot at 619× magnification.

What am I looking at? (An explanation):

What you can see here is a photograph of the stoma of a plant, shot at ultra-high magnification using scanning electron microscopy.

The stoma (collectively stomata) are small pores on the surface of a leaf that allow the release of oxygen and the uptake of carbon dioxide in plants. These are opened and closed by the plant, depending on the environment.

The stoma consists of two guard cells which control the aperture of the stoma. You can see here the stoma is firmly closed. In this species, stomata are sunken below the leaf surface, or epidermal layer. The raised cells that you can see surrounding the stoma are epidermal cells, specifically subsidiary cells. Four subsidiary cells surround the two sunken guard cells that make up the stoma.

If you look to the left of the guard cells, you can see a long, thin structure which has grown around one of the subsidirary cells and down towards the sunken guard cells. This is the hyphae of a fungus, possibly a pathogen which may try to infect the plant. It’s identity is unknown.

The colour in this image has been added for effect. Scanning electron micrographs are only available in greyscale - no technology exists for colour.

The bar on the bottom left corner of this image provides a scale. In this case, the bar shows a length of 20 micrometres (µm). 20 µm = 0.002 centimetres.

scipsy:

Switching off genes for improved starch (by BASF - The Chemical Company)

The genetically modified potato Amflora produces a special starch with potential applications in the paper, textile and adhesive industries. The starch in conventional potatoes consists of two components – amylopectin and amylose. Whereas amylopectin thickens, amylose gels. Certain industrial applications require only amylopectin.

scienceisbeauty:

Adult hermaphrodite of Caenorhabditis elegans

Source

freshphotons:

scienceisbeauty:

Gephyrocapsa oceanica

Coccolithophores (also called coccolithophorids) are single-celled algae, protists and phytoplankton belonging to the division haptophytes. They are distinguished by special calcium carbonate plates (or scales) of uncertain function called coccoliths (calcareous nanoplankton), which are important microfossils. Coccolithophores are almost exclusively marine and are found in large numbers throughout the surface euphotic zone of the ocean.

Source: Wikipedia

freshphotons:

scipsy:

Lamourouxia viscose, seed [Rob Kesseler] (by Center for Image in Science and Art _ UL)

Fly in the ointment

The erudite world of taxonomy is all a flutter over a row about renaming the world’s most famous fly

from the Economist: http://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16004390