Visit the
Molecular Expressions Website

Galleria
Photo Gallery
Silicon Zoo
Chip Shots
Screen Savers
Museum
Web Resources
Primer
Java Microscopy
Win Wallpaper
Mac Wallpaper
Publications
Custom Photos
Image Use
Contact Us
Search
Home

Advanced Condenser Systems: Achromatic Condensers

Recrystallized Urea

The images below compare performance of the Intel Play QX3 Computer Microscope with and without the aid of an organized cone of illumination from an achromatic substage condenser containing an aperture diaphragm. These photomicrographs are unretouched and were captured with the QX3 interactive software.

Urea Crystallites in Polarized Light
QX3 with Mixing Chamber (Stock - 200x)

QX3 with Achromatic Condenser (200x)

Excess nitrogen in the body is excreted in one of three forms: ammonia (as the ammonium ion), urea, and uric acid. Animals, such as fish, that live in the water excrete nitrogen as ammonia, which is quickly diluted by the aqueous environment. In terrestrial animals, the primary waste product of nitrogen metabolism is urea, a water-soluble compound. Birds excrete excess nitrogen in the form of uric acid, an insoluble chemical that allows birds to remove nitrogen without the use of water.

Both images above are crystallites of trinitrotoluene (TNT), taken with polarized light and a full-wave retardation plate. The image on the top was recorded with a stock QX3 microscope after adding the polarizer and analyzer. On the bottom is an image recorded with the QX3 body with the assistance of an achromatic substage condenser (Nikon) using the same components in the optical pathway.

BACK TO TRANSMITTED POLARIZED ILLUMINATION GALLERY

Questions or comments? Send us an email.
© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
The QX3 microscope design is copyrighted © 2022 by Mattel, Inc. Intel® Play™ is a registered trademark of the Intel Corporation. These companies reserve all of their rights and privileges under copyright law. The material contained in this website is solely the opinion of the authors and is intended for eduational use only.
Last Modification Friday, Nov 13, 2015 at 01:19 PM
Access Count Since April 25, 2000: 11560
Visit the official Intel Play website:

Visit the websites of our partners in education: