Editor's note: the two recent articles on using diatoms as test objects for the microscope have encouraged other readers to have a go. These splendid images of two of the toughest diatom species to resolve were sent in by Will Varnell. Will writes:

 

'Please find enclosed two jpeg's of Amphipleura pellucida and Frustulia rhomboides taken with my Reichert Polyvar plan-apo 100x oil objective of N.A. 1.32 with iris. The images were taken with blue filter, oiled 1.30 condenser, and DIC.

I was unable to resolve the lines into dots in Amphipleura pellucida even with much effort and it is probably out of range of this scope without a rectified condenser and a light scrambler.

Regards,

Will Varnell'

Click on the images to see larger <200kB images.

Amphipleura pellucida

Frustulia rhomboides

 

Comments to the author William Varnell welcomed.

The two recent Micscape articles on using diatoms as test objects are here (by Dave Walker) and here by Martin Mach.

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Published in the December 1999 edition of Micscape Magazine.

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