Penguin feather

Penguin feather fine structures, hand-colored Scanning-Electron-Micrograph by Martin Oeggerli / Micronaut.

Penguin feather

Penguin feather fine structures, hand-colored Scanning-Electron-Micrograph by Martin Oeggerli / Micronaut.

Surrealistic tactility - Hyper realistic fly proboscis (Drosophi

Hyper realistic fly (Drosophila melanogaster) proboscis. This highly enlarged microcraph is based on Scanning-Electron-Microscopy, and was created and manually colored by Martin Oeggerli (Micronaut). His realistic paintings shed light on invisibly small matters. By dramatically enlarging and exposing his tiny and unfamiliar subjects, Martin Oeggerli creates a surrealistic tactility of subjects we can neither see, nor touch. Fruitflies possess mouthparts adapted for sucking and feed on plant juices. The tip of the proboscis in some flies has spongy structures which conveys liquid food to the mouth. Solid foods are dissolved in a drop of saliva & sucked up in the same way.

Fly proboscis

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tip of the proboscis (snout) of a fruitfly (order Diptera). Fruitflies possess mouthparts adapted for sucking and feed on plant juices. The tip of the proboscis in some flies has spongy structures which conveys liquid food to the mouth. Solid foods are dissolved in a drop of saliva & sucked up in the same way.

Scanning electron microscope image of mosquito larva (family Culicidae) mouth parts.

Scanning electron microscope image of the mouth parts of a mosquito larva (family Culicidae). The collection of hairs (light brown) are feeding structures used to filter water. The hairs beat through the water filtering out algae, bacteria and other micro-organisms that the larva feeds on.

Leech skin (Hirudino medicinal)

Spider Silk

Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can also use their silk to suspend themselves, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Most spiders vary the thickness and stickiness of their silk for different uses. A single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk for different uses. Consisting of mainly protein, silks are about a sixth of the density of steel (1.3 g/cm3). As a result, a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). Making the silk acidic (pH 4) is a protection from fungi and bacteria that would otherwise digest the protein. The spider silk shown here results from combination of four fibres. This hand-painted picture was produced using a scanning electron microscope, by Micronaut (Martin Oeggerli).

Spider Silk

Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can also use their silk to suspend themselves, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Most spiders vary the thickness and stickiness of their silk for different uses. A single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk for different uses. Consisting of mainly protein, silks are about a sixth of the density of steel (1.3 g/cm3). As a result, a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). Making the silk acidic (pH 4) is a protection from fungi and bacteria that would otherwise digest the protein. The spider silk shown here results from combination of four fibres. This hand-painted picture was produced using a scanning electron microscope, by Micronaut (Martin Oeggerli).

Spider Silk

Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can also use their silk to suspend themselves, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Most spiders vary the thickness and stickiness of their silk for different uses. A single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk for different uses. Consisting of mainly protein, silks are about a sixth of the density of steel (1.3 g/cm3). As a result, a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). Making the silk acidic (pH 4) is a protection from fungi and bacteria that would otherwise digest the protein. The spider silk shown here results from combination of four fibres. This hand-painted picture was produced using a scanning electron microscope, by Micronaut (Martin Oeggerli).

Pseudoscorpion Mouth

Pseudoscorpions are small arachnids with a flat, segmented, pear-shaped body. Despite being harmless and inoffensive creatures, this individual was able to move very quickly to escape. Pseudoscorpions got their name from a pair of huge pincers (pedipalps), resembling those of scorpions. But unlike true Scorpions they have a rounded abdomen that does not extend into a segmented tail with a stinger. The small creatures usually range from 2 to 8 millimetres (0.08 to 0.31 in) in length, with yellowish to red or dark brown colors. Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans and prey on clothes moth larvae, carpet beetle larvae, booklice, ants, mites, and small flies. Chelifer cancroides is the most commonly found species in homes, where they are often observed in rooms with dusty books. A venom gland and duct are located in the mobile finger of the pincers. The venom is used to capture and immobilize prey. During digestion, a mildly corrosive fluid is poured over the prey to liquify the remains externally before they are ingested. They enter homes by "riding along" attached to insects (known as phoresy). The jaws (chelicera; have a look at the beautiful structure in the center) are used to spin silk which is used to make disk-shaped cocoons for mating, molting, or waiting out cold weather. A comb-like structure (serrula externa), which can be seen on the left side of the chelicera in a close-up picture, is used for grooming. In the center of the chelicera is a membrane called serrula interna. It helps to prevent food and fluids from escaping. Also, two pairs of sensory setae can be found on the chelicera and additional structures which resemble plant pores are located on the cephalothorax (above the eyes in the overview picture). Scientists believe that the latter detect bending and stress on the cuticule and call them lyrifissures. Pseudoscorpions breathe through spiracles on their abdomen (not shown), a trait they share with the insects. Most species have o

Collembola Snout

Springtail (Collembola sp.) mouth region. Springtails are found in leaf litter and soil. They have internal mouthparts and are no longer considered to be insects (which have external mouthparts). Collembola lack a tracheal respiration system, which forces them to respire through a porous cuticle (see ornamented surface structure). In sheer numbers, Springtails are among the most abundant organisms. With estimates of 100'000 per cubic metre of topsoil, they are essentially everywhere on Earth where soil and related habitats occur. Springtails can be found essentially everywhere on Earth where soil and related habitats occur. With insatiable appetite they eat their way through the topsoil and thereby produce what is essential for plants: excrements rich of essential nutrients that would otherwise be inaccessible for plants. Their stomach breaks down the cellulose from leaves and stems. Springtails are the favourite meal for predators such as mites and pseudo scorpions. To get away from them, they possess a kind of spring under their abdomen, their “springtail”. It can be moved like a folding knife in a fraction of a second. The force hurls the animal several centimetres away, provided there is enough space.

Butterfly58710_mini2_gelb_softlight

Butterfly58710mini_blue

Butterfly58711mini2

Moth head and compound eyes

Understanding other animals’ sensory abilities allows us to put our capabilities and limitations into perspective and lets us appreciate what we have. It also lets us imagine what it would be like to perceive the world through another creature’s eyes and - inspires technological innovations (ie: when designing robots or night vision goggles). In general the insect compound eye is made up of many separate lenses, called ommatidia. Moths have huge eyes covering almost their entire head. The huge compound eye even lets them see 'in the back of their head' at the cost of a relatively low resolution, because it depends from the number of photoreceptors (i.e. number of lenses) that can be grouped on the relatively small head. Thereby insects perceive the environment as 'patchwork image', as if we would look through the grid of a cellar window. Nevertheless the small moth has a few tricks up their sleeves for a better vision in the dark: (1) Neural summation: moths' brains store up images over time, giving their photoreceptors more chances to see in dim light (our photoreceptors 'stream' images in a constant flow which means old images are almost immediately lost). (2) Ultraviolet photoreceptor type. Instead of red, moths have ultraviolet photoreceoptor types helping them to find flowers at night: in contrast to humans, moths rely on color vision even at very low light without having to switch to achromatic vision to differentiate colors at low intensities. It may give them a less accurate sense of color at daylight, but moths see color at much lower intensities than humans. (3) Antireflective coatings: the ommatidia of moths' are covered with micro-structures which increases light efficiency at night and helps to avoid predators at daylight (frogs, lizards, birds). Anti-reflective coatings have become a key research area in solar panel construction, because they increase the efficiency.

Mosquito (Culex pippins, female)

Bat flea (ev. Ischnopsyllus sp.)

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a Bat flea, showing its head, mandibles and powerful front legs. This parasite was found on a Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii). The mandibles are used to pierce the host's skin and suck blood. As a result of living on nocturnal hosts Bat fleas have no eyes. Interestingly, Bat fleas have relatively short proboscis, measuring less than 200 µm. This is 33% less compared to the Cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), 50% less compared to the common Rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), and even 90% less compared to the common European Mosquito (Culex pipiens). It remains to be determined if insects that parasitize bats evolved a reduced lenght of their blood sucking instruments due to the thin bat wing membranes that are well supplied with blood vessels and lack subcutaneous fat storage or dense fur. For the author the tiny animal reveals the grace of a flamenco dancer and provides a text-book example for the fascination of invisibly small creatures - and especially for those with a notoriously bad reputation generated in childhood from hearsay and fairy tales. Für den Autor hatte der Floh bereits auf der schwarz-weiss Aufnahme die Grazie einer Flamenco-Tänzerin ausgestrahlt. Nun erkennt man dank den Farben noch einiges mehr und ist gleichzeitig erstaunt wie perfekt die einzelnen Strukturen ineinander passen. Augen hat er keine, er lebt meist in völliger Dunkelheit, dafür sind die Fühler und tastenden Mundwerkzeuge prominent entwickelt und das ganze Gesicht ist äusserst fein behaart. Wenn man nichts sieht und auch kein Echolot hat, dann hilft eben der Tastsinn weiter - wir machen es genauso, falls das Licht einmal nicht funktioniert!

Rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis)

In general, fleas belong to the insect order Siphonaptera. Their color varies between pale yellow and black and they are rather smalle, usually between 1-8mm long. The heavily sclerotized (armored) body is shiny. The rat flea's primary host is the rat (Rattus norvegicus), but the Oriental rat flea is best known as the vector for the bacteria Yersinia pestis from rats to humans, and for spreading the resulting plague (black death) across Asia and Europe in the middle ages. In the 14th century (between 1347 and 1352), the disease killed 25 million in Europe and between 75 to 100 million worldwide, within five years. Today, the plague is still not wiped out completely and the WHO registers annually between 1'000-3'000 cases worldwide. Like all fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis has mouthparts adapted to cutting through skin and sucking up blood that has pooled. In feeding, it secretes saliva into the wound to prevent the blood from coagulating. Along with the saliva, the flea secretes any bacteria it may have picked up by eating the blood of an infected individual into the host. When Yersinia pestis pathogens enter the gut of the flea, they multiply quickly, blocking food from entering the digestive system. This triggers the hungry flea to bite a new host, further spreading the bacteria. Today the Oriental rat flea can be found in temperate climates, but more often inhabits warm, tropical and subtropical regions, since it needs warm temperatures to pupate. It uses many different mammals as hosts, including rats and humans, and is known also to carry the murine typhus pathogen (Rickettsia typhi) and the mouse and rat tapeworms (Hymenolepis diminut and Hymenolepis nana), the latter can be transmitted when fleas are swallowed by pets or humans.

Rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis)

In general, fleas belong to the insect order Siphonaptera. Their color varies between pale yellow and black and they are rather smalle, usually between 1-8mm long. The heavily sclerotized (armored) body is shiny. The rat flea's primary host is the rat (Rattus norvegicus), but the Oriental rat flea is best known as the vector for the bacteria Yersinia pestis from rats to humans, and for spreading the resulting plague (black death) across Asia and Europe in the middle ages. In the 14th century (between 1347 and 1352), the disease killed 25 million in Europe and between 75 to 100 million worldwide, within five years. Today, the plague is still not wiped out completely and the WHO registers annually between 1'000-3'000 cases worldwide. Like all fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis has mouthparts adapted to cutting through skin and sucking up blood that has pooled. In feeding, it secretes saliva into the wound to prevent the blood from coagulating. Along with the saliva, the flea secretes any bacteria it may have picked up by eating the blood of an infected individual into the host. When Yersinia pestis pathogens enter the gut of the flea, they multiply quickly, blocking food from entering the digestive system. This triggers the hungry flea to bite a new host, further spreading the bacteria. Today the Oriental rat flea can be found in temperate climates, but more often inhabits warm, tropical and subtropical regions, since it needs warm temperatures to pupate. It uses many different mammals as hosts, including rats and humans, and is known also to carry the murine typhus pathogen (Rickettsia typhi) and the mouse and rat tapeworms (Hymenolepis diminut and Hymenolepis nana), the latter can be transmitted when fleas are swallowed by pets or humans.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflšhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nŠhe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (magn. 158:1 if printed 12.5cm high). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (magn. 158:1 if printed 12.5cm high). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

CCINA-CatFlea3_1050_mini_hallblau_DsC

CCINA-CatFlea3_0001_mini_hallblau_DsC

CCINA-CatFlea3_0402_mini_hallblau_DsC

CCINA-CatFlea3_0700_mini_hallblau_DsC

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

Frontansicht eines Katzenflohs. Parasiten sind normalerweise auf einen bestimmten Wirt spezialisiert. Katzenflöhe auf Katzen, nur ausnahmsweise werden auch Menschen gestochen (wenn keine Katze in der nähe ist). Portrait of a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). The cat flea's primary host is the domestic cat, but this is also the primary flea infesting dogs in most of the world. Cat fleas can transmit other parasites and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are Bartonella, murine typhus, and apedermatitis. The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can be transmitted when a flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.

CCINA-Cat Flea3_071212_1050_mini_DsC_curacao

CCINA-Cat Flea3_071212_0700_mini_DsC_curacao

CCINA-Cat Flea3_071212_0402_mini_DsC_curacao

CCINA-Cat Flea3_071212_0001_mini_DsC_curacao

CCINA-Cat Flea3_071212_0001_mini_DsC2_curacao

Lice

Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis)

Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) parasitize humans for a long time. Genetic analysis suggest that the ancestors of the lice may have originated about 107’000 years ago, with the ancestor of all human lice emerging about 770’000 years ago. The Head louse is an obligate ectoparasite of humans and spends the entire life cycle on the human scalp in contrast to other human parasites, e.g. fleas. Lice are wingless insects and they feed exclusively on blood. Unlike Body lice, Head lice are not the vectors of any known diseases. Except for rare secondary infections that result from scratching at bites, head lice are harmless, and they have been regarded by some as essentially a cosmetic rather than a medical problem. It has even been suggested that head lice infections might be beneficial in helping to foster a natural immune response against lice which helps humans in defense against the far more dangerous body louse, which is capable of transmission of dangerous diseases.

Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis)

Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) parasitize humans for a long time. Genetic analysis suggest that the ancestors of the lice may have originated about 107’000 years ago, with the ancestor of all human lice emerging about 770’000 years ago. The Head louse is an obligate ectoparasite of humans and spends the entire life cycle on the human scalp in contrast to other human parasites, e.g. fleas. Lice are wingless insects and they feed exclusively on blood. Unlike Body lice, Head lice are not the vectors of any known diseases. Except for rare secondary infections that result from scratching at bites, head lice are harmless, and they have been regarded by some as essentially a cosmetic rather than a medical problem. It has even been suggested that head lice infections might be beneficial in helping to foster a natural immune response against lice which helps humans in defense against the far more dangerous body louse, which is capable of transmission of dangerous diseases.

Zebrafish skin

Zebrafish scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of zebrafish scales (Danio rerio) scales. Fish scales are are classified by shape. As the fish grows, the scale increase in size and growth rings called circuli become visible. During cooler months of the year the scale grows more slowly and the circuli are closer together leaving a band called an annulus. By counting the annuli it is possible to estimate the age of the fish.

Zebrafish skin (zoom)

Zebrafish scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of zebrafish scales (Danio rerio) scales. Fish scales are are classified by shape. As the fish grows, the scale increase in size and growth rings called circuli become visible. During cooler months of the year the scale grows more slowly and the circuli are closer together leaving a band called an annulus. By counting the annuli it is possible to estimate the age of the fish.

Zebrafish skin

PTU_Motte_004_mini

Leech skin (Hirudino medicinal)

Fly surface

Insect scales

FHNW_Daphnia_004_mini3_blue2

FHNW_Daphnia_004_mini3_motionpink2

FHNW_Daphnia_004_mini3_all

human skin with bacteria

Human skin bacteria play an important role in the production of human odours. There is a strong correlation between human body odour and the species composition of skin bacteria. Freshly secreted human sweat is odourless. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Corynebacterium minutissimum, Brevibacterium epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis are commonly found on the human skin and are associated with differences in body odour production. Interestingly, scientific studies show that the composition of human skin microbiota leads to different odours and thereby determines the attractiveness of humans to (malaria) mosquitoes (Verhulst et al, PlosONE, 2010).

Leech (Hirudino medicinal)

ColeopterusClaw57280mini2

Dust beetle larvae hairs

Hatching young mite

Hatching young mite

Mite (adult)

Parasitic mite

Fly wing