"Trichamoeba" (Dark Field)

This amoeba is large enough to be visible to the naked eye under the right conditions. It is one of the larger and faster moving amoebas found in pond water.This view is called Dark Field. Most of the light to the microscope stage is blocked, allowing internal structure and fine detail of microorganisms to be better seen.





"Trichamoeba"


Another view of Trichamoeba, this time using oblique illumination. Part of the light is blocked to create a 3D effect. All videos on this page were taken with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX3 camera in Movie Mode.



"Tardigrade" - Water Bear


This is an animal found often moss. It has four pairs of legs and looks something like a microscopic gummy bear. When conditions become unfavorable, tardigrades will encyst into a small hard enclosure called a tun. When conditions improve, the animal rehydrates and resumes its search for food and fun. Tuns over 75 years old have been able to rehydrate making this animal very hardy.


"Tardigrade" - Water Bear


This is another view of a tardigrade, this time under dark field illumination. With careful examination, it is just possible to see the little claws on its feet.

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