Inventions

As a biologist I absolutely love microscopy. This is maybe why I also enjoy ‘macro’ (micro?) photography. Microscopy has a long history, with lenses being used in the fifteenth century and our old pal Galileo Galilei inventing the compound microscope in 1609. So I’ve tagged this blip for MonoMonday!

This week I’m teaching leaf structure to a youngster who is being home schooled due to health issues. It is a great excuse to borrow a microscope from school!

You can make nail varnish impressions of the upper and lower surfaces of leaves and when you peel off the dried nail varnish and place it on a microscope slide a whole new world is revealed! The upper and lower surfaces have different structures, with most leaves having little pores or stomata on the lower surface (to facilitate gas exchange). We’re going to have a go at identifying these microscopic structures tomorrow morning.

I’m off to buy some clear nail polish now!