Protistiary - Photodocumentation: What and How

Photodocumentation What and How
Photodocumentation simply indicates that images have been captured photographically. The images can therefore be from a conventional camera, a light microscope, from scanning or transmission electron microscopes.
Phase contrast micrograph of Apusomonas. Image and copyright by D J Patterson.	Scanning elelctron micrograph of Difflugia. Image and Copyright by Daniel Lahr.	Transmission electron micrograph of a whole mount of the lorica of Cosmoeca. Image by Naja Voers, copyright D. J. Patterson.
Different techniques reveal different amounts of detail. You need to know what are the the diagnostic characters of the taxon - which will require attention to the featurs that distinguish the genus from other genera in the family, and the species from other species in the genus. Consult microscope as a starting point in this exercise, but remember that microscope offers far from complete coverage, so this is only the start point. You will need to know if the distinguishing features can be documented by the available technology, and which technology is going to be most appropriate for your needs.
Protistiary home page Top of photodocumentation

Photodocumentation

What and How

Photodocumentation simply indicates that images have been captured photographically. The images can therefore be from a conventional camera, a light microscope, from scanning or transmission electron microscopes.

Phase contrast micrograph of Apusomonas. Image and copyright by D J Patterson.

Scanning elelctron micrograph of Difflugia. Image and Copyright by Daniel Lahr.

Transmission electron micrograph of a whole mount of the lorica of Cosmoeca. Image by Naja Voers, copyright D. J. Patterson.

Different techniques reveal different amounts of detail.

You need to know what are the the diagnostic characters of the taxon - which will require attention to the featurs that distinguish the genus from other genera in the family, and the species from other species in the genus. Consult micro*scope as a starting point in this exercise, but remember that micro*scope offers far from complete coverage, so this is only the start point.

You will need to know if the distinguishing features can be documented by the available technology, and which technology is going to be most appropriate for your needs.

Protistiary home page Top of photodocumentation