1. Tools used
in Biological Research

2. Any tool used to magnify the image of a close object.
Microscopes
Any tool used to magnify the image of a close object.

3. Light Microscopes
All use rays of light, either transmitted through a thin slice or section or bounced off the surface of a specimen.

5. Dissecting Microscope AKA Stereomicroscope
Light source above stage – Light bounces off of specimen.
Can be used with opaque specimens.
Two oculae allow for binocular, 3-D image.
No image “flip.”

6. Phase Contrast Microscope
Uses polarized light to give good contrast.
No stains necessary
Used on clear specimens
Can view living specimens.

7. Electron Microscope
Different from light microscopes : Use beams of electrons rather than beams of light.
Gives High Magnification and
Excellent Resolution
Two Types:
Transmission aka TEM : electron beams pass through the specimen
Scanning aka SEM : electron beams bounce off of the specimen

8. TEM

9. SEM

10. Scanning Electron Micrographs

12. What are these?

13. How does a person eat an elephant?
One bite at a time
Science is often reductionist aka empirical.
Complex problems can be understood by breaking them down into all of the parts and trying to understand each individual part.
Put the understood parts together and you come closer to understanding the whole problem.
Picture:

14. Separation Techniques
These separate mixtures of substances for analysis
Centrifuge
Chromatography
Electrophoresis

15. Centrifuge
Used to spin a solution to separate the particles based on their density.
Heavy to the bottom, light on top

16. Chromatography
The process of separating chemicals based on their molecular size by using special filter paper.

18. A few drops of different inks at the bottom produced these bands of color showing what colors make up the ink

19. Electrophoresis
A process that is used to separate pieces of DNA by placing the DNA in a special gel and adding electricity.

20. First the strand of DNA is cut into pieces by special chemicals called Restriction Enzymes

21. Then the pieces are loaded into the gel

23. Other Tools and Techniques
Indicators:
-Compounds that show chemical properties, usually by a color change.
-”Low Tech”
-examples: pH paper, pool water test kits.
Image from:

24. Tissue Cultures Growing tissue outside the body
Skin is grown outside the body to help burn victims
One day many organs may be grown for transplant
Ethical alternative to animal testing

25. Micro-Dissection
Using very small tools to dissect objects as small as individual cells
This technique is used when cloning cells or in-vitro fertilization.

27. Used in medicine and research to help investigate problems.
Diagnostic Tools
Used in medicine and research to help investigate problems.

29. Magnetic Resonance Imaging

31. Positron Emission Tomography
PET