YouTube Transcript: How to Slow Down Microorganisms for Better Microscopy | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: How to Slow Down Microorganisms for Better Microscopy
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Hi, hello, and welcome back. Microbehunter here.
Today in this video, I would like to explain two methods
that allow you to slow down microorganisms so you can observe them more easily under the microscope.
Let me explain a little bit of background first. When you put a water sample under the microscope
and see microorganisms, many of them are simply too fast. They swim away quickly,
and by the time you spot them, they are already out of view. It becomes difficult to chase them,
and therefore it is also hard to get a good image or video.
This is why you probably want to slow them down somehow.
I am going to explain two methods you can use to do that. By slowing them down, you can also
zoom in more, use higher magnifications, and see cellular details much better.
Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. One is not necessarily
better than the other, and often it makes sense to use both depending on the situation.
Let's dive in.
The first method is to simply limit their movement.
Using Paramecium as an example, it is a single-celled microbe. If you use very little
water as a mounting medium, the paramecium is sandwiched and squeezed between the cover
glass and the microscope slide. There is only a very thin film
of water, and the cell is trapped in between. The friction and slight pressure from the
glass surfaces inhibit its movement enough that it cannot swim away easily.
This method has another advantage: because the cell is pressed flat,
many parts of it remain in focus at all times. This allows you to observe structures like the
cilia, especially around the mouth area, and the contractile vacuole much more clearly.
However, there are some disadvantages. If the water evaporates too much,
the water layer becomes even thinner, and the cell might burst. That is not ideal
because then you cannot observe it anymore. Also, because the cell is pressed so flat,
it loses its natural shape. It becomes wider and more oval.
Still, this method is often the first thing I try because it keeps the cell stable and
allows for very good videos and images, as the cell does not move up and down out of focus.
The second method is slightly more advanced. You add a thick, viscous substance,
like methyl cellulose, to the water. Methyl cellulose is easy to make yourself.
Because it is so viscous, like honey, the cells are slowed down significantly.
The advantage here is that the cells keep their natural shape. Paramecia, for example,
stay elongated and can still rotate naturally, but much slower, making them easier to observe.
One disadvantage of using methyl cellulose is that, because the liquid remains thick,
the thickness of the water layer cannot be easily controlled.
The cells can still move up and down slightly,
making them sometimes go in and out of focus. Also, sometimes bubbles form, but when you
place the cover glass, many of them are pressed to the side.
The good thing is that methyl cellulose does not significantly affect
the osmotic balance of the cells. They do not burst or shrivel,
and they behave quite normally, just slower.
If you want to make methyl cellulose yourself,
I recommend taking 0.2 grams of methyl cellulose and mixing it with about 10 milliliters of water.
Let it sit for a day so it can dissolve completely, and
you will get a very viscous solution. You can adjust how much you add to
your sample to control how much you want to slow down the microorganisms.
As an example, with methyl cellulose, I was able to clearly observe two conjugating paramecia
exchanging DNA, something that would not have been possible if they had been moving at full speed.
And with that, I would like to say goodbye.
If you enjoyed this type of video, consider subscribing to the channel.
All the best, happy microbe hunting, and see you next time. Bye-bye.
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