We had Halloween on the brain last month, and it seems like you did too! Our top microscope images for October 2022 include some creepy critters perfect for this spooky season.
It’s no surprise that the most liked image this month was the winning image in our 2021 Global Image of the Year competition. This beautiful capture is of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower with pollen tubes growing through the pistil. The flower tissues were chemically cleared so they became transparent and the pollen tubes, stained with aniline blue (yellow fluorescence), can be seen.
To see the rest of our winners, or to submit your own image to our 2022 competition, visit our IOTY page.
Image courtesy of Jan Martinek, 2021 Global Image of the Year winner. Captured using an Olympus AX70 microscope.
While these microscopic skeleton-like figures look like something that would haunt your dreams (or make a fun Halloween costume), they are actually harmless―and, though alive, are inanimate! These images are a UV-induced fluorescence of a 20-micron section of bulrush, a wetland grass-like plant found in swamps, ponds, and wet meadows.
Image courtesy of Karl Gaff. Captured using an Olympus BX51 microscope.
Daphnia are commonly known as water fleas because their swimming style resembles the movements of fleas. These aquatic organisms can be found in a wide variety of environments, from acidic swamps to freshwater lakes and ponds. Unlike what we picture when we think of fleas, this little Daphnia looks adorable!
Image courtesy of Leonardo Capradossi. Captured using an Olympus UPlanFLN objective at 10X magnification with a 0.30 numerical aperture (NA).
While we thought this image looked like something delicious you might get while trick or treating, we were sad to learn that the colorful objects are not candy. These are actually grains of sand from Erg Chebbi in Morocco. Erg Chebbi is one of several ergs (large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand) found in Morocco.
Image courtesy of Marek Miś. Captured using an Olympus BH2 microscope.
Decorations for the spooky season often include fake spiderwebs and spiders. This little jumping spider is in the Halloween spirit and ready to haunt. Jumping spiders have two pairs of large eyes on the front of their heads―two on the side and an additional two located on the back of the head to watch you from all angles.
Image courtesy of Håkan Kvarnström. Captured using an Olympus LMPlanFLN20X objective.
Bonus image―because we all love water bears!
Tardigrades, or more adorably called water bears, are known for their amazing resistance to extreme conditions. Created using a mix of art and artificial intelligence, this one is in costume and ready for a party!
Image created using DALL-E by OpenAI.
To see more images like these, be sure to follow us on Instagram at @olympuslifescience!
Interested in sharing your own images? Visit our image submission site, and be sure to enter your best light microscopy images into our 2022 Global Image of the Year contest.
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