3D Molecular Models

Dive into chemistry with 3d molecular models! See how the basic building blocks of matter form to create everything in the known universe.

Need a refresher on chemistry?

An element is a single atom characterized by the number of protons in its nucleus. Atoms bind together to form molecules, which can either be a series of the same element or different elements, making it a compound.

A molecule can be a simple pairing of one element, such as the oxygen in the air (O2) or a complex chemical compound, such as ethanol (CH5OH) or baking soda (NaHCO3), containing many different elements.

Stock Image Gallery of Molecular Models and Video

3d illustrators represent molecules in a variety of ways. There’s the classic ball and stick model, ribbon models, and the intricate hydrophobicity surface model.

CPK coloring is the most common color system for models (white for hydrogen, black for carbon, red for oxygen, etc.), but artists use a variety of different color pallets to bring uniqueness to their work (so always check the description for details about each molecule.)

Need a specific model? Ask our professional staff and we’d be happy to help you with your next chemistry project!

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Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a Growing Concern for Parents

Flu season is here, but parents have a new condition to be worried about for their kids: Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM. It has been making headlines as alarming numbers of children are being paralyzed in a pattern that resembles polio scares in the past.

AFM has been in existence for a long time, but the recent rise in cases is what’s signaling danger. Polio was eradicated in the United States in 1979, however, at this point in time, there is no such future hope for AFM.

This dreaded condition has several possible causes including viruses, environmental toxins, and genetic disorders. Symptoms often follow an infection and high fever. The suspected viruses that may cause AFM include poliovirus or non-polio enteroviruses, West Nile Virus and adenoviruses.

RF Images & RM Images of Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Although adults may contract this condition, most cases are in those under 18 years old. Symptoms parents should look out for include the sudden onset of drooping eyelids, difficulty moving the eyes, loss of reflexes or weakness in the limbs.

One of the more dangerous aspects of this condition is when the muscles of the lungs are affected, causing respiratory distress. Medical help should be sought immediately upon finding any of these or similar symptoms.

Scans, such as MRIs, of the spinal cord and brain will assist in the diagnosis of AFM. It is important to rule out other conditions such as Guillain-Barre that may have similar symptoms.

We currently do not have a specific treatment for AFM, but neurologists and physical therapists can sometimes recommend methods to help relieve symptoms.

The best prevention is common sense advice that would help to avoid any type of infection. Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water to avoid germs from others, and wear insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites that may transmit the West Nile Virus.

The Beautiful Creepy Crawly World of Francesco Tomasinelli

Biologist and photographer Francesco Tomasinelli is willing to go where few others are: damp caves where the floors, walls and ceilings are crawling with living creatures.

Once there, he pauses to take beautiful and unusual photographs. He has captured giant cockroaches eating a dead bat, a snail slowly attacking a moth, and walls blanketed with crawling insects. Needless to say, the subjects of his images include endless numbers of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and all manner of creatures that are the stuff of nightmares.

View Stock Images of Tomasinelli’s Nature Photography

Tomasinelli says, “We are not used to considering small insects and specialized spiders that live in caves as noteworthy animals. But in recent years it has been discovered that these organisms can give us valuable indications to better understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems.” He was involved in a project called CAVELAB and has photographed in caves in Italy and Borneo.

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Having always been fascinated by nature, especially by weird, neglected animals, he travels the world seeking out insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, and even carnivorous plants.

Visit Francesco Tomasinelli’s Website

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Explore the Human Microbiome

The idea of bacteria creeping through your body might be less than appetizing. We often associate the presence of bacteria in our bodies (especially in our digestive system) with infections, viruses, and food poisonings. However, scientific findings have uncovered the fact that there are also many types of good bacteria that are essential to our health. This collection of good and bad bacteria within our bodies have also been discovered to be strikingly diverse from person to person.

The definition of the human microbiome is still somewhat ambiguous and disputed but is commonly known to be the vast ecosystem of microscopic organisms (microbes) living within us. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), we consist of 10-100 trillion microbiota, also known as microbial cells. These cells hold genes that determine cell behavior.

Stock Images and Stock Video of Microbes

Scientists have become specifically interested in the gut (our stomach and intestines) as a location that holds a notably vast collection of microbes. Believe it or not, the large intestine houses good bacteria, such as probiotics, that fight the bad bacteria and keeps us healthy. The ratio of good bacteria to bad can change and partly depends on your immune system or diet choices. If good bacteria becomes low in numbers, risk of infection and virus development increases.

One of the fascinating aspects of our microbiomes is that everyone's is distinctly unique. We, as humans, have a much different microbiome than other animals, but ours also differ from person to person. Even the collection of organisms in your mouth is different than the community of organisms in your gut.

Because each person's microbiome is so individualized, researchers are recognizing that this information could be valuable for practical usage in medicine. A patient's microbiome could be used similarly to a fingerprint, but instead of merely identifying the patient, medical professionals could gain a better understanding about what is going on within the patient's body and be able to make more educated predictions about procedures and treatments needed.

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As more and more scientific findings of this topic surface, it becomes increasingly more exciting to find out how this knowledge will help us solve many unanswered questions that have to do with anatomical behavior, virus prevention, and even evolution. Our microbiomes seem to be the mysterious key that could open many doors to the understanding of the human body.

• learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293
• http://www.nutritionnews.abbott/nutrition-as-medicine/the-role-of-the-microbiome-in-gut-health-
• 
  

The Natural History Collection

Science Source is pleased to announce it is now offering the Natural History Museum of London’s Collection online!

Completed in 1881, the Museum of Natural History in London, was one of the first museums designed for the public. Unlike its predecessors, it no longer required an application for entry and offered labels on everything on display.

The Natural History Stock Image Gallery

Today the Museum remains a center for culture and education in London. Its permanent collection contains some 80 million objects, including fossils, rocks, minerals, insects and taxidermy animals.

With multiple education programs, such as the famous “How Science Works” program, which offers hands-on workshops with microfossils, the museum is an ideal location for science enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

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Explore the collection’s many photographs of skeletons, bird eggs, and fossils, illustrations of prehistoric creatures and much more!

Can’t make it to the gift shop? Head to our storefront below for great fossil products!

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They'll Hijack Your Body to Replicate Themselves

Zombies? Science Fiction? Fantasy? No, it’s the very real flu virus, cold virus, rabies, HIV, ebola or any other viruses.

Viruses are microscopic nonliving organisms that can only reproduce by hijacking the production mechanism inside a living host’s cells. The virus replicates itself until the cell bursts, spreading the virus further. This usually means death to each cell that becomes infected. If the host’s immune system cannot destroy the virus, ultimately it can mean a very bad outcome for the host as well.

They differ from bacteria in that bacteria are alive, reproduce through fission (splitting apart) and carry on metabolic functions such as digestion.

Stock Images of Bacteria and Viruses

Viruses cannot reproduce on their own. They need to attach themselves to a host’s cells and inject it with their DNA/RNA, taking over the cell’s “machinery” to manufacture and reproduce. This continues until the cell literally bursts. The new viruses go on the hunt for more cells to continue this cycle.

Viruses are 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria. Common water filters can block bacteria, however viruses can pass through many common filters.

Many bacteria are beneficial and even necessary for human existence. Our digestive tracts are filled with good bacteria - Normal Flora - that help break down food and even produce vitamins, such as vitamin K, that are critical to our well-being.

We all know there are also harmful bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes that causes strep throat or E. coli that causes food poisoning.

But there are no beneficial viruses that we know of. In fact, a type of virus called a bacteriophage even infects and kills bacteria.

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Antibiotics are useless against viruses. Antibiotics only kill off bacteria, which is why doctors will only prescribe them once they are certain an illness is caused by a bacteria and not a virus.

Even though antiviral drugs do exist, they aren’t even able to kill viruses. They only limit a virus’s ability to develop further.

The best methods for keeping safe from these dangerous invaders in the first place is to practice basic hygiene and common sense. Washing your hands frequently, getting the flu shot, staying clear of wild animals that may carry rabies such as raccoons and avoiding contact with anyone already infected especially if they coughing or sneezing, are some of the leading precautions you can take.

• webmd.com
• wikipedia.com
• sciencedaily.com

Science in Motion – The History of Discovery in Video Montage

Have you ever wanted to step into an old etching and explore the laboratories of your favorite scientists and inventors? Short of magic, video montages provide the next best thing!

Peer into Herschel’s telescope as he gazes at the cosmos from his observatory or follow a beam of light as it refracts into a rainbow in Newton’s laboratory.

Video Montage Gallery

Beyond the fun, video montages have an educational value. By linking images together, montages provide historic continuity, allowing people to see the connections between scientific discoveries. An etching from Isaac Newton’s life may tell you something about his findings in optics, but a group of images reveals how they led to further insights into physics.

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Montages also bring clarity to scientific discoveries. By zeroing in on a lab experiment, montages highlight key components involved in the scientific process. Panning and scrolling help viewers understand the causes and effects involved in experiments, giving them a better understanding of how science works.

As classic images enter the digital sphere, video montages are providing a unique and fun visual aid for designers and educators alike. Take a closer look below!

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