Observation is something we often do instinctively. Observation helps us decide whether it’s safe to cross the road and helps to determine if cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven ...
We live in a beautiful world – and that beauty and complexity extends far beyond what humans can see unaided. From plant and animal anatomy to cells and proteins and even down to the level of ...
The human brain has a multitude of functions. As well as organising our thoughts, feelings and actions, it also controls bodily processes like fertility. At puberty, the brain is ultimately ...
In this activity, students discuss the importance of observation in science. They are given the opportunity to observe harakeke and record their observations. It is important to seek knowledge ...
In this activity, students model how scientists interpret microscope data by using shadows of an object from different angles to build up a 3D image. By the end of this activity, students should ...
Specialised microscopes allow us to view an object’s surface and its internal structures to build up 3D images from thin 2D slices and to look much more closely than we ever have before. In this ...
In this online citizen science (OCS) project, participants analyse electron microscope images taken of a range of biological samples, helping scientists better understand cancer, infectious ...
By comparing some features of fossilised plants with the same features of plants living today, scientists hope to be able to learn more about the effect of changing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in ...
The Science Learning Hub has lots of resources for primary teachers related to the night sky in the Planet Earth and Beyond strand of the New Zealand Curriculum. The night sky is fascinating to ...
Dr Bronwyn Lowe (University of Otago) describes her use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to explore harakeke leaves. Bronwyn found that different harakeke varieties have differently ...
Dr Rebecca Campbell (University of Otago) discusses the importance of fluorescent molecules in confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (‘confocal microscopy’) of cells. She explains how ...
University of Otago neuroendocrinologist Rebecca Campbell explains why she uses the confocal microscope to look at cell components.
Explore the features of different microscopes and learn how scientists choose which ones to use in their research.
In this interactive follow a core sample as it makes its journey from the Alpine Fault to microscopic examination.
This interactive diagram shows a selection of objects on the microscopic scale – learn more by selecting an image.