Dark blue - staining distemper virus inclusion body within the cytoplasm of a neutrophil (at the 2 o ’ clock position) of an unvaccinated dog with acute distemper; slide was stained with a commercial Diff - Quik stain (recommended) to elucidate inclusion bodies.

Examination of peripheral blood smears or exfoliative cytology (e.g., conjunctival scrapings) for intracellular distemper inclusion bodies is highly diagnostic, particularly in the early stages of infection.

(Source: Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult- Clinical Companion)

afracturedreality:

Microvilli

Microvilli are microscopic cellular membrane protrusions that increase the surface area of cells, and are involved in a wide variety of functions, including absorption, secretion, cellular adhesion, and mechanotransduction. These finger-like projections from the small intestine are also home to huge numbers of microbes.

Image courtesy of Azusa Hotta et al., Journal of Cell Biology

(Source: Flickr / thejcb)

circulatorylife:

Streptomyces species bacterium in an agar plate

Streptomyces species are found worldwide in soil and are important in soil ecology. Much of the characteristic earthy smell of soils arises from chemicals called geosmens given off by Streptomyces species. Streptomycetes are metabolically diverse and can “eat” almost anything, including sugars, alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, and aromatic compounds. They have unique abilities in their production of numerous antibiotics. There is considerable interest in these organisms as agents for bioremediation.

thegreynotes:

One of Zachary Copfer’s bacteriographs, created by using bacteria as “ink” and using radiation to prevent growth in certain areas to create images. Microbiology and visual arts unite!

theoneaboutscience:

Bacteriophages escape from a dying streptococcus bacterium, ready to find another victim. Their ability to infect and kill specific strains may lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Photograph by Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc

(via Microbes: Small, Small World - Photo Gallery - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine)

autistic-scientist:

S. typhimurium

Isolated from cooling tank in a major poultry processing plant

(via autistic-scientist-deactivated2)

medicalschool:

Variola virus (smallpox)

Smallpox is considered to be a disease of antiquity, but was once the scourge of all mankind. It is a member of the poxviridae family, has a double stranded DNA and is ellipsoid-shaped with an outer envelope. The virus only infects humans and has one stable serotype. 

(Source: bioquell.com)

stellarstardust:

The latest XKCD comic is a mix of nostalgia for me: my childhood days of playing Pokemon on the GBC (Accidentally typed GBA. Whoops), my third year of college learning microbio and taking the lab, and constant reminders of MRSA and how bad it is from nursing school.