Microscopy

Students learn how to operate a light microscope and understand the mechanisms behind. They are presented with chicken intestinal slides that have been stained with Anilin, Orange G and Fuchsin. Using the 5x magnification, students identify the villus, and then proceed with higher magnifications to identify smooth muscle, extracellular tissue, epithelial cells, Goblet cells and the nuclei.

Electron microscopes can be used to visualize objects that are too small to see when using a light microscope—for example the microvilli, mitochondria and the junctions between cells. In this lab, students examine a chicken intestine slide that is specially prepared for a transmission electron microscope. Students can zoom in and out and observe different cellular structures.

Students learn about fluorescence staining techniques and how it can be used to visualize specific structures. For example, by staining the DNA with DAPI, students can easily identify a cell’s nucleus. In this part of the lab, Students will examine a chicken intestine sample that is infected with a retrovirus. They observe how the virus infects the lymphocytes and how it inhibits inflammation. The retrovirus can be further developed as medicine for coeliac disease.