Photographer captures incredible images of the microscopic creatures found inside a SINGLE drop of w

[microrobert]

Pond safari: Photographer captures incredible images of the microscopic creatures found inside a SINGLE drop of water

These slimy creatures may look like aliens from another planet but they are actually the life teeming inside a single drop of pond water.

The colourful organisms were captured using a photography technique called high-definition microscopy in a lab in Ohio by photographer Peter Matulavich.

The pond safari pictures show everything from a single-celled paramecium organism moving through bacteria to a defecating 10mm creature called hydra and a cluster of Euglena Protozoa that are seen in such high numbers they have been known to make entire ponds and puddles appear green or red.

Pond safari: Photographer captures incredible images of the microscopic creatures found inside a SINGLE drop of water | Mail Online

[Kazimiera]

I HAVE to add these photos from the article because they are soooo interesting!!


This image shows a microscopic view of the small freshwater animal Hydra as it defecates in a single drop of water in a lab in Ohio. The creature grows around 10mm long and biologists are keen to study them because they appear not to age or die



This pair of Blepharisma, pictured, are sharing genetic information inside a drop of pond water. Blepharismas are what's known as protists, or single cellular organisms. They are filter feeders, which means they suck in water, eat bacteria and algae and filter the clean water back out of their bodies



The Actinosphaerium, pictured, is part of a small group of protists called actinophryids that are mostly found in freshwater, especially lakes and rivers. Each actinophryid have a single cell and are roughly spherical. The outer portion of the cell, or ectoplasm, is filled with tiny vacuoles, or bubbles, that help the creature to float. The Actinosphaerium variety of actinophryid are between 200-1000 micrometres in diameter



This shot shows a high-definition microscopic view of a Planarian - a type of flatworm capable of regenerating after being cut in half. A study in July by Boston University discovered that when a Planarian regrows its head, it is also capable of regrowing memories. They live in both saltwater and freshwater ponds and rivers



Other protists caught on camera in Ohio include this cluster of Euglena Protozoa. They are seen in such large numbers that they can colour the surface of ponds and ditches completely green. Species of Euglena were among the first protists to be seen under the microscope and were recorded as early as 1674



This bundle of Panagrellus Nematodes is a common feature in aquariums and is also known as the microworm. It is a tiny roundworm used as food for a variety of fish, especially when they first hatch. The microworm is about 50 micrometres in diameter and just over one millimetre in length which makes it barely visible to the human eye



Cytoplasm flowing through water was captured by Matulavich, pictured. The cytoplasm is made up of everything within an organism that sits outside of the nucleus, enclosed within the cell membrane. The cytoplasm can also include the cytoskeleton - fibres that help support the cell and maintain its shape



This cluster of Micrasterias algae was photographed as it floated through a drop of pond water. It is also called green algae. Micrasterias can reproduce both asexually and sexually. During sexual reproduction two organisms fuse their haploid cells to form a zygote, or yolk. This zygote forms a thick protective wall which lets the organism remain dormant for months to survive cold winters and long droughts. When the conditions are right, the organism, known as a zygospore, is born



A microscopic view of a Paramecium protist caught inside the digestive organ of bacteria. Paramecia are found in freshwater and marine environments and are often seen in large numbers inside stagnant basins and ponds. Paramecium are widely used in labs to study biological processes



This alternative shot of Paramecium shows it swimming through the centre of two bacteria