art in science
at
Old Dominion University
This image is an example of a class of marine microalgae (plants) called
diatoms that have "glass" cell walls. Diatoms are at the bottom of the food
web, and they are eaten by a variety of tiny animals and shellfish, as well
as some whales. These crisscross threads are chains of the marine diatom
Skeletonema costatum, commonly found in coastal waters around the world.
The colored background is possible using a set of prisms and filters
arranged to achieve Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast (DIC). This
technique employs light, rather than biological stain, to distinguish
different components of specimens. Images can thus be seen in striking
color—an "optical staining"—and in exaggerated three-dimensional appearance. Image taken by Lisa Drake with an Olympus® DP-10 digital
camera attached to an Olympus® BX50 compound microscope. DIC
microscopy; original magnification 400x; each cell is approximately 0.025 mm
long. Sample collected with a plankton net from the Lafayette River,
Virginia in February 2000. 
© Lisa Drake
