Spider SEM Images

Quick Links: What is SEM?? Sample Prep SEM images SEM links E-MAIL me Nana the Banana Spider.

What is SEM??:

SEM stands for Scanning Electron Microscopy. I will not go into detail on how it works but if you would like to learn more then please visit this link. SEMs show very detailed 3D images at much higher magnification than is possible with a light microscope, which makes it really interesting. I took an SEM course Fall 2005 at UF where we were instructed to bring our own unique samples to view on the instrument and practice workin with the instrument. And since I like spiders a lot, i decided to make this page.

Sample Preparation:

There are a series of steps must be followed when preparing a sample to be analyzed under the electron microscope. Because of this, some artifact, or error, was introduced to the specimen.

1. In order to dehydrate the spider without damaging its surface the spider was placed in a 95% ethanol solution in a container which was about 100x the volume of the spider. SEM is under high vacuum and if there is any water (which is an issue for all biological samples) the vacuum will break down.
2. The spider was then placed on a piece of double sided sticky carbon tape that was placed on an aluminum stub that will be placed in the instrument. I wanted to get a good shot of the Spiders head and eyes so I ended up having to section him, which was rather easy since the spider i basically two segments: a scary head and a huge ass. Bellow is an optical image of the spider after it was mounted.
   
3. The last step involved coating the spider using gold-palladium sputter coater in order to ensure that the sample is thermally & electrically conductive. Without thermal conductivity I would melt my spider, without electric conductivity charge would build in my spider and I wouldn't be able to get a good image since the electrons from the beam would start to bounce of the spider and hit the walls inside the SEM chamber and such. The coating is the only step I did not do myself so the handy technicians at MAIC at the University of Florida did it.
4. Finally the images could be run on a SEM 6400.

SEM Images: (click to enlarge)

SEM Links:

• The University of Florida's Major Analytical Instrumentation Center has some of the best electron microscopes in all of the state.
• Learn more about how SEM woks.
• All about different kinds of Spiders

Links: