Endless worlds in a world

Ever thought twice on how each grain of sand was formed and shaped differently?

When I went to the beach the past summer, I decided to take a couple grains back home for memories and to observe under the microscope. Turns out, the grains seem to almost be glass as they are almost transparent under the lighting (some of them).

What I thought was most unique was how these grains, once in forms of rocks, transformed into these differently shaped structures, as if there are different worlds inside this single world.

One interesting fact: Sand's real name is silicon dioxide because it is actually a form of quartz which is finer than gravel but coarser than silt. Sand is also one of few minerals very resistant to weather impacts.

angora...warm enough!

Ever wonder why during the winter it is preferred to wear jackets and clothing made of fur?

angora rabbit hair 100X

While in the first picture the single strand of rabbit hair may seem to be merely a piece of thread having no significance to why people tend to wear it for warmth, it is in truth a very hollow piece of fur.

angora rabbit hair 400X
 As seen in these pictures, the fur actually has large pockets of empty space inside. The reason for so many air pockets is because the heat that is emitted by the organism would be stored in the pockets, further insulating/preserving heat. This is shown in duck down and other types of fur animals.

angora rabbit hair 400X

angora rabbit hair 400X

A thousand of Grains of treasure

Try guessing what this is!

If you've tried guessing it, see if you're correct: the picture was sand paper! Each fragment gives off a reflection when under light and makes it seem as if it is some sort of jewel.These are really coated abrasives which are essential in some industries such as furniture and automotive.

It's not a cute insect

It's a plant! No, it's a toy! No . . . It's a Mantis!!!!

his wing 40X

A few months prior, a mantis decided to hop into the house which was very surprising because this was around the start of winter, meaning the insects would have likely died before then. Sure enough, the mantis died after lacking mobility for a day. I decided to use that to my advantage and check out its wings.

his wing 40X
 It turns out that while the wings seem somewhat detached from the body except for what is connecting it, there is a thin line of a blood vessel that flows through the wings. While the blood doesn't seem to have the purpose of transferring oxygen filled blood to the wings, it might be there in order to generate heat for the insect when it draws it out as it is shown in some animals such as bats.

A fun fact: The pigments in the mantis's eyes gather depending on the lighting of the environment in order to improve eyesight when hunting.

unexpected beauty

bark of the tree-sponge type

I never expected a sponge and a bark to fuse together..

sponge type tree bark illuminator 40X

This bark seen the pictures truly fascinated me because of how it was formatted to protect the tree. While the outer layer was smoothly rough, the internal features were very sponge-like as seen on the pictures. The sponge-like features are shown to be like multiple cushions softening the inner layer to almost a pillow.

sponge type tree bark 100X zoom in illuminator

sponge type tree bark smooth side 100X

As seen on these pictures, there are multiple layers on the tree bark, the soft side covering the rest of the internal cells and acting as a different protective layer from the rough external surface of the bark.

sponge type tree bark tough side 100X

cooked brown rice and its facts

cooked brown rice iodine solution 40X

Like the previous post on the starch in apples, I also decided to test it on brown rice as well. 

cooked brown rice iodine solution 100X

As seen, there are numerous amounts of dark and blue spots across the brown rice (which I had ground) which is the color starch emits when iodine touches it.

cooked brown rice iodine solution 400X

Since you now know that brown rice is also covered in starch (which creates glucose to further energize your tissues and organs), that's one more food to add to the breakfast!