Cellular Microscopy with Staining

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 I have been working with stains recently, in order to better identify the features of specimens. My first attempt was with yogurt bacteria, using Crystal Violet stain. I was able to see the bacteria, but due to the way I prepared the slide, it required several attempts, and was quite a mess. I tried multiple techniques with and without stain, but I did not achieve the results I had hoped for.

Next, I took another blood sample, and stained it with Methylene Blue (Loeffler's solution). Again, I was able to see the blood cells, but I don't think it was much different than without using a stain. My latest experiment was with cheek cells. This time, I observed the specimen without using a stain. I located a sufficient number of cells, then removed the slide and applied Methylene Blue (Loeffler's). Here is a side-by-side picture with and without stain:



At 10x magnification, it actually looks better without the stain. Note that I am using ad-hoc darkfield illumination by using the rim of the condenser filter ring. I must be doing something wrong, because using the stain should help me identify the nucleus of the cells. Clearly it does not have that effect. I can identify the cells merely by the depth-of-field.

There is more work to be done, but as with any new and challenging endeavor, I am learning a great deal - and making some progress.

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