Guess My Gunk
Valerie Goss
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
The mineral salt has a cubic crystal shape. This grain of kosher salt is composed of many cubes stuck together. With its large surface area, it can absorb
more moisture than a similar sized cubic salt crystal. This makes it ideal for curing meats, which involves absorbing blood from the raw meat. X 75
Hypodermic needles must be sharp in order to pass through the skin easily. Looking down the barrel of this tiny needle shows it is not as smooth as it first
appears. X150
At a glance, this stuff appears to stick as if by magic. However, magnified 35 times, it is easy to see where the stick comes from. One side contains the
hooks (left side), the other has the loops that catch on the hooks. X 35
Common everyday items take on a new dimension at high magnification. In this photo, a staple is seen where it ripped through the fibers of a yellow sticky
note paper. X 35
Tokay gecko's front toe. Tokay geckos can adhere to a variety of surfaces by using a unique pad composed of millions of tiny hairs, each smaller than the
wavelength of visible light! These tiny hairs each have a tiny attraction (van der Waals force) to a surface when in extremely close contact. The
combined sum of these attractions would allows a gecko to support hundreds of times its own weight. Images of the Gecko feet were completed
with the help of Kellar Autum, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon. X 1800
This specimen is a small portion of a foam heat protection tile from one of the space shuttle orbiters. Sample was provided by the NASA Kennedy Space
Center. X 225
Ever wondered why kidney stones hurt so much? This SEM sample of a human kidney stone clearly illustrates the crystalline structure of this object and the
sharp edges that structure produces. X 450
Ever wondered why kidney stones hurt so
much? This SEM sample of a human
kidney stone clearly illustrates the
crystalline structure of this object and the
sharp edges that structure produces.
This specimen is a small portion of a foam
heat protection tile from one of the space
shuttle orbiters. Sample was provided by
the NASA Kennedy Space Center.
This high-mag sample shows a small section of sticky pad on the underside of a
Tokay gecko's front toe. Tokay geckos can adhere to a variety of surfaces by using a
unique pad composed of millions of tiny hairs, each smaller than the wavelength of
visible light! These tiny hairs each have a tiny attraction (van der Waals force) to a
surface when in extremely close contact. The combined sum of these attractions
would allows a gecko to support hundreds of times its own weight. Images of the
Gecko feet were completed with the help of Kellar Autum, Lewis & Clark College,
Portland, Oregon.
How to get to the SEM Virtual Lab Website
http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu/downloads/#interface
1. Download java
2. Save downloaded version of Virtualab
3. Begin using program
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com/2008/0
1/29/imaging-technology-groups-virtual-
microscope-amazing-free-software/