Nikon Small World

Kwon’s image is a by-product of current research for her graduate thesis. It illustrates a late-stage developing mouse embryo with the yolk sac and placenta intact. All of the structures within the embryo have red fluorescence, while the yolk sac exclusively has green fluorescence, showing the details of the body plan. Her goal was to create a clean and focused photograph where the smaller details were as clear as the bigger picture.

To capture this image, Kwon used widefield microscopy with various lighting conditions under brightfield as well as green and red fluorescent filters in darkfield. Through techniques like this she has been able to visualize specific details of the developing mouse embryo that could not otherwise be observed or documented.

Complete information on all Nikon Instruments products and services.

Learn about optical microscopy, digital imaging, and photomicrography.

Nikon’s free online digital photo storage and sharing service.

From the nanoworld to the universe — the worlds we measure using our infinite yardstick.

Enjoy learning about Nikon’s long history through a series of interactive episodes.