Some Amazing Microscopic Things

Often we look to the stars and are amazed at the size and the confusing nature of the universe around us. At the same time we sometimes look to the sea and the incredible sea life that is under there – there is so much that we don't know about the oceans. However there is another frontier that we don't seem to give enough credit which is the microscopic world. It's all around us and it's absolutely amazing, but rarely do we spend enough time examining its wonders or looking at how it affects us here on a macroscopic level.

This is a shame as there are some simply incredible things in the microscopic world that you could witness with a microscope or an electron microscope. Read on for some examples to whett your appetite.

Tardigrades: Tardigrades are a single celled organism that has something close to biological immortality – in other words they can't seemingly be killed. This is because tardigrades (also called 'water bears') have indefinite lifespans, but also because of their ability to hibernate – for decades – shutting down their entire body so that it requires nothing to survive and can withstand radiation and even the vacuum of space. In one experiment this was tested and tardigrades were jettisoned into space during which time they managed to survive on their own making them the only known creature to be able to do so and opening our eyes to the possible existence of life on other seemingly uninhabitable planets.

Cells: Animal and plant cells are incredible things that make up life as we know it. Essentially a cell is a tiny gelatinous mass which contains our DNA within a 'nucleus'. This DNA is what is truly fascinating as it contains our entire 'genetic code' meaning that it dictates where in our body it goes and how it should behave.

Nano Technology: Nano technology is any technology (man made device) which is less than one atom thick in any dimension. This has countless applications and can be used to create devices to travel our blood stream or coat our clothing. You would likely need an electron microscope or a very powerful light microscope to be able to work with an example of nanotechnology.

Stem Cells: The problem with cells is that they are all unique and specific to particular parts of the body. So if a skin cell splits it creates two skin cells – despite the fact that it contains the entire genetic code then it still cannot be used anywhere in the body limiting its potential for medication. Stem cells however are those cells found in embryos that have no yet got any particular purpose and can thus be used for any part of the body.

Bacteria: Bacteria are tiny creatures that live on our skin and in the air that we can't see. Most light microscopes would be able to pick up bacteria however which reveals very interesting creatures which can cause us illness but which in some cases help to keep us healthy by ensuring the chemical balance in our stomachs etc.

By: Sam Brut

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There are many fascinating things you can see under microscopes. For a range of microscopes including an electron microscope, follow the links.