Cyanobacteria from tree bark

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Ken Ramos
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Cyanobacteria from tree bark

Post by Ken Ramos »

During my daily quest for corticulous myxomycetes, I noticed the dark almost blackish-green gelatinous spheres either singly or in clusters along the surface of the tree bark I was observing or searching with the dissecting microscope. Slime mold plasmodia are very elusive sometimes, or can be, whatever . . . anyway, curiosity got the better of me. Removing one of the spheres and placing it on a clean glass microscope slide, this is what I found and rather suspected all along, cyanobacteria. :)

Image
Zeiss Axiostar/Canon Pwrshot G9X Mk II 10mm f/2 @ 1/25 sec. ISO 125 Kholer illumination (halogen) PSE 14 processing

Image
Zeiss Axiostar/Canon Pwershot G9X Mk II 10 mm f/2 @ 1/15 ISO 125 Kholer (halogen) illumination PSE 14 processing

Image
Zeiss Axiostar/Canon Pwrshot G9X 10 mm f/2 @ 1/25 ISO 125 Kholer (halogen) illumination PSE 14 processing

This last image is showing the edge of one of the spheres containing the cyanobacteria. As to what type or species I could find no reference right off hand though there were many look-alikes and descriptions similar each to the other. :-k These were squash mounts by the way in distilled water.

[edit]

Image
Meiji EMZ-8TRH/Canon PwrShot G9X 10mm f/2 @ 1/15 sec. ISO 125 6.5W LED illumination PSE 14 processing.

Cyanobacteria globule on tree bark substrate :) Look closely and one can just barely discern the the filamentous cells within.
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nanometer
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Post by nanometer »

Very neat. These things are everywhere! No such wonderful goodies on tree bark here in S AZ -- the sun would have fried them in an hour.
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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

nanometer wrote:Very neat. These things are everywhere! No such wonderful goodies on tree bark here in S AZ -- the sun would have fried them in an hour.
I can imagine! High heat, low humidity but it would also be a good place to look for extremophiles. Thanks nanometer :D
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Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Great idea and images! Makes me want to see what is on my local tree trunks. What was the magnification on the top image?
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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Lou Jost wrote:Great idea and images! Makes me want to see what is on my local tree trunks. What was the magnification on the top image?
All but the last were at X400 using a Zeiss 40X/0.65 CP Achromat. I suspect they belong to the Nostocales, and though what might be heterocysts, seem to be scattered. As for size, I would not venture a guess and I am not very adept at math computations or at scale bars. :-k My math skills, though I loved math, were so sad in school they could have made a movie about them. :(

Thanks Lou :D
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Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

400x on the sensor? Afocal through 10x eyepiece?
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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Lou Jost wrote:400x on the sensor? Afocal through 10x eyepiece?
I would imagine. :-k I'm digiscoping, quite a simple set up really. We don't get overly carried away here in the foothills of the Appalachia. Thanks Lou :D
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Lindsay Hunt
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Re: Cyanobacteria from tree bark

Post by Lindsay Hunt »

It's a Nostoc spp.
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