SC.912.L.14.1Describe the scientific theory of cells (cell theory) and relate the history of its discovery to the process of science.
SC.912.L.14.4 Compare and contrast structure and function of various types of microscopes.

Cell Theory
The Big Idea

Engagement

Explanation

Video Lecture

Tutorial Lecture

                 Explorations:
                                    Solving the Puzzle
                 Extensions:
                                    Guided Practice
                                    Option 1a: 3.1 Cell Theory Interactive Reader
                                    Option 1b: 3.1 Cell Theory Power Notes
                                    Option 2: Cell Theory Study Guide
                                    Option 3: Cell Theory Timeline
                                   
                                    Shared Practice
                                    CYUs for Cell Theory

                                    Independent Practice
                                    EOC Practice using QuizStar


Picture
Living Water Flea, captures through the Mesolens, by Brad Amos at LMB

Currently on exhibition as part of the Royal  Society’s 350th anniversary celebrations, the Mesolens is a  giant microscope that can show large field-of-view images of living specimens in  incredible detail – thousands of living cells in focus and in detail at the same  time. Until now, scientists have had to rely on low-mag light microscopes to obeserve living specimens, or use sections of dead specimens on an electron  microscope in order to get high-mag images.

Picture
Mesolens vs Hooke

Robert Hooke first drew a human flea in his 1665 book Micrographia. Along with  van Leeuwenhoek, Hooke kick-started microbiology, and so it is a fitting tribute  that some 345 years later, LMB give us their flea images. You can pan and zoom  across a Mesolens image by clicking here.

Check out this short article from Wired.com explaining how the Mesolens works, and go to the Laboratory of Molecular Biology’s official site for the  Mesolens. Can you distinguish between it and a normal light  or electron microscope? What
advantages will this give to  researchers?

The Guardian has a gallery of images from Mesolens, and there is a short video showing image density from the LMB site, as well as a teachers guide to microscopy.