Episode 2: Red pepper wet mount

This video provides a demonstration of how to make thin sections of red pepper fruit for viewing with the microscope.

[@amberancheta3197]

in the HPO view, can you see the cytoplasm?

[@jkabhishek16]

How did you put the cover slip without air bubbles 😮

[@BeyondtheBeanSeed]

The trick is to place the edge of the cover slip just to the side of the drop of mountant (the water you've placed over your sample), then slowly lower the coverslip until it is in position. You can use a dissecting needle to help you guide the coverslip slowly into place.

[@jkabhishek16]

@@BeyondtheBeanSeed Thanks

[@jkabhishek16]

@@BeyondtheBeanSeed Make more videos 😊👍

[@jsslyncrmn]

What kind of mountant did you used??can I use iodine solution??or methylene blue??

[@BeyondtheBeanSeed]

Sorry I did not see this comment earlier. The mountant for the red pepper is simply water. Even when I use iodine or methylene blue for staining, I typically like to remove the excess stain and add a drop of water (as a mountant) before slowly lowering the cover slip.

[@rimjhimagarwal5590]

Which microscopy technique was used in this video for observing the chromoplasts?

[@BeyondtheBeanSeed]

This is brightfield microscopy--it uses a standard compound microscope.

[@tempalloiye3823]

what are the black spots at the 40x magnification?

[@BeyondtheBeanSeed]

I can't locate the original photo in order to zoom in for a better look, but they are likely indicative of trichomes or secretory structures on the surface of the fruit.

[@keerthikag1247]

Mam...are you a biotechnologist? Very useful post.

[@BeyondtheBeanSeed]

I am a botanist and educator. My research is in plant systematics. I'm glad you found this post helpful!