Lichtgedanken 04

S C HW E R P U N K T 32 Kidney cells The coloured scanning electron microscopic image shows cells of the glomerulus (podocytes) of a mouse kidney with 10,000x magni cation. The cells (orange and blue) are closely interdigitated by so-called foot processes. The kidney’s ltration barriers are located in the gaps between the pro­ cesses. The cell bodies are around 6 micrometres (0.006 millimetres) in size. Taken by Dr Sandor Nietzsche/Center for Electron Microscopy at the Jena University Hospital Plaque The coloured scanning electron microscopic image shows a bio lm of bacterial plaque with 10,000x magni cation. The image shows the cross-section of the bio lm (red bacteria in a yellow matrix) on the surface of a tooth (grey). The bio lm is approx. 10 micrometres (0.01 millimetres) thick. Taken by Dr Sandor Nietzsche/Center for Electron Microscopy at the Jena University Hospital Meteorite The image shows a thin section of the Nakhla meteorite under the polarizing microscope. This Mars meteorite fell from the sky in Egypt in 1911 and consists of magmatic rock that is around 1.3 billion years old. It is assumed that Nakhla was thrown into space as the result of an asteroid hitting Mars, and that it was »caught« by Earth over 100 years ago. The width of the section shown is approx. one milli­ metre. Taken by Prof. Dr Falko Langenhorst/Chair of Analytical Mineralogy of Micro- and Nanostructures Block copolymer The scanning force microscopic image shows the structure of a lamellar nano-structured diblock copolymer consisting of polystyrene and polydi­ methilsiloxane. The aim is to use these nano-struc­ tured polymer surfaces to control the adsorption of proteins on materials surfaces to lend them new characteristics, e.g. sensor technology. The width of the section shown is 1.5 micrometres (0.0015 millimetres). Taken by Xiaoyuan Zhang/Chair of Materials Science An insight into the microcosm Physicists and materials scientists, geologists and biologists, pharmacists and medics all use microscopes to view and investigate minute structures. Nowadays, classic optical microscopy, as developed by Ernst Abbe and Carl Zeiß, only plays an ancillary role. High-resolution fluorescent microscopic procedures now provide insights into living cells and materials, or electron microscopes offer detailed images of living or lifeless micro worlds. On the following pages, the LICHT GEDANKEN picture gallery shows what the naked eye cannot see. Fibre network This scanning force microscopic image shows the structure of a protein network from denatured fibrinogen and fibronectin. Nanofibres have lots potential applications in materials science and med­ ical technology; including in the creation of artificial organs and tissue. The width of the section shown is 25 micrometres (0.025 millimetres). Taken by Christian Helbing/Chair of Materials Science 8 µm Hydrogel beads The picture shows a coloured scanning electron mi­ croscopy image of a three-dimensional compound of hydrogel particles. The spheres have a diameter of around 10 micrometres (0.01 millimetres) and consist of polyoxazolines. Hydrogels can absorb and store large quantities of water in their internal poly­ mer structure. Besides that their structure provides tissue-like mechanical properties. Taken by Steffi Stumpf/Jena Centre for Soft Matter 1 3 2 4 5 6 400 nm