Procedure

Using the SEM:
We were given the materials to make the stub. First we attached the carbon tape to the metal stub and centered it. Then the stub was divided into three sections called fiduciary marks using sharp tweezers. Again, using the tweezers, we transported the pollen samples off of our three plants and placed them in their sections using the fiduciary marks. In a swirly motion starting from about one and a half feet away to about two inches we sprayed canned air. The air set the pollen in place and made sure it was secure. With two fingers, we placed the stub in the cup and pushed down to make sure it was in place. Once it's flush we clicked the notch four times to the right. Then the cup was placed in the slot of the SEM until the green light turned on. Slowly and carefully, we closed the door of the SEM. The button that looks like a maze was pressed and that maps the image. Going into settings, then label and we gave a specific label separately for each pollen sample. The label said the abbreviation of the plant, the groups initials and the period number (rhodcscap2). Then back to the image, it was ready to scan and we pressed the button that looked like a plus sign and the vacuum in the SEM began. To move the image and see different sections, we touched the screen rather than moving or dragging our fingers. Using autofocus, that focuses it and you might have to use that a couple of times. The contrast helped if it was too bright or too dark to get it to the right coloring. To zoom, we turned the knob to the right and then pressed autofocus. To take a photo, press the camera button. Using a thumb drive, you transfer the pictures from the SEM to the Mac computers. To measure the images, go to archive, ruler button and then touch one side of the image and then the other of what you want to measure. You can save the measurements in a new image. Once you have completed these steps for all three pollen samples, you are ready to eject the cup with the pollen. Press the eject button, then okay and wait for it to eject. We took the cup out and twisted it so its comes up than took the stub off with out damaging it.
Stations:
During class we were in 8 stations. At each station we worked on different things like blog time, looking at the pollen from the plants we chose through a compound and 3D microscope and research on the plants. During blog time, we created the blog by using google blogger. Each person in the group has been working on different parts of the blog. When we used the compound microscope, we placed pollen from our plant samples on a slide and looked at it through the most basic microscope and took and drew pictures of what we saw. When the pollen was under that scope, we put it in growth medium. It is 0.1 germinate the pollen. In the 3D microscope, we examined it and used tweezers to break it apart and really study the pollen.