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Rotifers, Nematodes and Tardigrades Stock Microscopic Photography

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 Roti fers (Philodina sp.), Light Micrograph The bdelloid rotifer, found in freshwater habitats all over the world, is able to withstand extreme cold. According to a recent discovery in northeastern Siberia, these multicellular organisms can be frozen for up to 24,000 years and live to tell the tale! The average life span of us humans, 78 years, is not much compared to other creatures. Some birds live up to 100 years, eels have been recorded at 106, tortoises 150, and Koi fish over 200. The slow moving Greenland shark has been recorded at 512 years. Still these are just flashes in the pan compared to rotifers. Scientists recently restored rotifers that had been frozen in the Siberian permafrost for over 24,000 years, meaning these creatures were alive during the Late Pleistocene Era - when Wooly Mammoths roamed the earth. Stock Images and Video of Rotifers and Other Long-lived Animals A rotifer is part of a group of seemingly invincible creatures, such as nematodes and tardigrades

Microscope Photography (SEMS) Make Unique Gifts for the Science Minded

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Woman uses a Scanning Electron Microscope (left) , a cell heavily infected withARS-CoV-2 virus particles (right).  The entire world has become more familiar with micrographs in the past 18 months, although you may not have realized it. During the pandemic, detailed photographs of the coronavirus appeared in newspapers, television, and everywhere online.  They were taken by a particular device called a scanning electron microscope. The images are often referred to as SEMs for short. As the name implies, the microscope uses a particle beam to detect electrons off the surface of specimens, which is then placed in a vacuum to create sharp images. Magnification ranges from 20x to 30,000x, spatial resolution of 50 -100nm. Micrographs allow us to see critical details that may be useful in curing diseases, and they shows us the hidden beauty of everyday objects. A gallery of microscope photographs available as fine art prints in our Fine Art America shop. A fine art print, a fun t-shirt, mug,

The Real Pocahontas

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  Pocahontas has been a legend of American culture for generations – the subject of romantic novels, documentaries, and Disney films. After so much fanfare, it can be difficult to separate the myth from the historic figure. Here, we’ll try to do that. First of all, her name was not Pocahontas. Born in 1596, her real name was Amonute and sometimes Matoaka. Pocahontas was a nickname, which in Algonquin means “playful one” or “misbehaving child.” Legend says Pocahontas fell in love with John Smith, an English settler at Jonestown who was captured by chief Powhatan her father. The two shared a secret love affair that they had to keep hidden from the Algonquins. In actuality, there was probably little romance between the two. Pocahontas was twelve when she met John Smith and their only recorded interaction was a time when she helped Smith learn portions of the Algonquin language during his captivity. Stock Photo Gallery of Native Americans After his imprisonment, John Smith was sentenced

Blackbeard and Swashbuckling Pirates

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  Piracy is criminal activity, such as robbery, violence, or kidnapping, on the high seas. Yet, we love pirates. We dress-up like them, make kid's movies about them, and enjoy cartoons about them. The history of piracy goes back to 1500 BC from the Phoenicians to the present time. Early Pirates also include the Vikings who raided many coastal towns and cities. When most people are talking about pirates, they refer to the golden age of swashbuckling pirates. In the Caribbean, in the early 17th century, the English took over Tortuga. They invited pirates to attack their enemies, and they did. Stock Pictures of Pirates Well known pirates, also known as privateers, include Edward Teach aka Blackbeard, Barth Roberts, Captain Kidd, Calico Jack Rackham, Captain Samuel Bellamy, Hanry Morgan, and Anne Bonnie. VISIT OUR FINE ART AMERICA GIFT SHOP Many people are not aware that the U.S. Constitution has a provision for the United States to hire privateers. Vikings raided cities all along th

Super Earths and Exoplanets

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  we explore further afield from our home planet, we learn there are not only other systems, but many other planets in these systems. There are people who look to these for another earth and for alien life. Planets outside of our solar system are called exoplanets. Gallery of Stock Pictures of Super-Earths and Exoplanets Just as our solar system has planets of different sizes and types, planets in other systems are varied in size and composition. To date, we have found 3,242 systems with planets, many with multiple planets, bringing the number of exoplanets we know of to 4,395. Fun Gifts and Housewares with Unique Images Planets are categorized by their mass. Any planet with a mass larger than earth without being 14 times higher in mass is considered a super-earth.  The designation doesn't speak to its composition or whether it would be a friendly place for us humans to live. It only tells us the comparative mass of an exoplanet. Recently, NASA discovered a new super-planet nami

The Importance of Protein Folding

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  human body uses protein in innumerable ways. They are the building blocks of your body, and it's many functions. Your cells are continually manufacturing proteins; while you sleep, walk or even now as you read this blog. Proteins make up cellular channels, are structural, act as enzymes, and are part of your immune system. These proteins are formed as strings and can be very long. Folding proteins - just as folding laundry - give them organization, condenses their size, but unlike you laundry it also provides function. Gallery of Human Proteins and Protein Folding SCIENCE NERD GIFTS ON FINE ART AMERICA The human body is made up of cells, and inside these cells are millions of tiny machines made up of folded proteins. These are found in every single living thing. These proteins are folded into a specific shape to allow them to function. If you unfold one, you'll find a string of amino acids - like beads on a necklace. These long strings of amino acids only function once th

Types of Vaccines: Whole Pathogen, Subunit and Nucleic Acid (mRNA & DNA)

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This past year of the pandemic has brought with it much suffering, but it has also brought an amazing advancement in medical science. It will be the first vaccine that uses a form of nucleic acid, in this case, mRNA (messenger RNA). Not only will this vaccine bring the world out of the shadow of COVID-19, but it will also open the door to a myriad of other healthcare developments. Stock Images of mRNA First, an overview of how vaccines work. Your body is naturally good at defending itself against intruders such as bacterias and viruses. In fact, you are exposed to thousands each day. If any make it through your first line of defense, your immune system takes action. A virus is called an antigen. It alerts your immune system to create antibodies, which kill the virus or render it ineffective. Depending on the virus, these antibodies, once triggered, stay effective for months, years, and often a lifetime. A vaccine works by tricking the body into creating these protective antibodies,