I was displaying my pollen slides to kids around my place and one of them, all of 5 years, who measures everything with a scale asked , “How small are they?”. I mumbled my way through deftly, ignoring the question but it rang for a while in my head after. Measurement is an integral part of science and this was one aspect that I had conveniently ignored through this project. Could I create a digital scale that I could use over and over. I pulled out a stage micrometer that I had bought some time back. These cost about $11 on
 <a alt="ref=sr_1_2" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/ref%3Dsr_1_2">
 amazon
 </a>
 , and their smallest division is 0.01 mm or 10 microns and they have a 100 divisions in total (Figure 1A). I have a Google phone that I measured has 4x digital zoom (Figure 1B).



<table style="width: 100%">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <img alt="scale-unmag" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5443 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5443" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="scale-unmag" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/scale-unmag.jpg" width="300"/>
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="scale-comp.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/scale-comp.jpg">
 <img alt="scale-comp" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5422 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5422" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431489989","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="scale-comp" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/scale-comp.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 </tbody>
 
 
</table>

 Figure 1A and 1B


 For all my pollen pictures, I mostly use the 140x optical zoom and the 4x digital zoom, or on rare occasions the 400x optical zoom with a 4x digital zoom.  This mean that if I create a template picture of the stage micrometer at these optical and digital magnifications, I shall have a scale that I can superimpose (using google picasa) and get an approximate size of the pollen or any object of study. First I needed to have pictures of the slide micrometer.

<table style="width: 100%">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>
 Optical magnification
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 No Digital zoom
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 4x Digital zoom
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 140x
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="140x-nozoom.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/140x-nozoom.jpg">
 <img alt="140x-nozoom" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5437 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5437" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="140x-nozoom" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/140x-nozoom.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="140x-4x.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/140x-4x.jpg">
 <img alt="140x-4x" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5438 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5438" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="140x-4x" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/140x-4x.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 400x
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="400x-umag.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/400x-umag.jpg">
 <img alt="400x-umag" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5440 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5440" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="400x-umag" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/400x-umag.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="400x-4x.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/400x-4x.jpg">
 <img alt="400x-4x" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5441 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5441" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="400x-4x" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/400x-4x.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 </tbody>
 
 
</table>

 As long as I use the same digital and optical zoom on my sample and capture pictures with my Google phone, I can superimpose any picture with these scales using google picasa and measure distances knowing that each division is 10 microns.  Wow this is exciting. I cant wait to wake up and tell the 5 year old that I know the size of the pollen. A few measurements of the different objects I have seen with the foldscope follow. If you see a logical error in my reasoning, let me know.

<table style="width: 100%">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>
 Object and calculated measurement
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 Image
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Spruce pollen – 50 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="spruce-size.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/spruce-size.jpg">
 <img alt="spruce-size" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5448 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="spruce-size" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/spruce-size.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Magnolia pollen – 40 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="magnolia-scale.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/magnolia-scale.jpg">
 <img alt="magnolia-scale" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5450 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5450" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431575285","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="magnolia-scale" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/magnolia-scale.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Black locust pollen- 30 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="blacklocust-scale.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/blacklocust-scale.jpg">
 <img alt="blacklocust-scale" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5451 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5451" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431575926","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="blacklocust-scale" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/blacklocust-scale.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Trichomes 120-170 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="tric-scale.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/tric-scale.jpg">
 <img alt="tric-scale" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5452 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5452" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431562184","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="tric-scale" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/tric-scale.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Male spider mite – ~110 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="mitescale.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/mitescale.jpg">
 <img alt="mitescale" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5453 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5453" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431577146","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="mitescale" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/mitescale.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 <tr>
 <td>
 Honey-suckle pollen at 400x- 50 microns
 </td>
 
 
 <td>
 <a alt="honey-scale.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/honey-scale.jpg">
 <img alt="honey-scale" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5454 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="5454" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1431563128","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="honey-scale" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_5418/honey-scale.jpg" width="300"/>
 </a>
 </td>
 
 
 </tr>
 
 
 </tbody>
 
 
</table>

Pollen hunter project–III- Investigating pollen size with a scale

laksiyer | Wed, May 13, 2015, 9:35 PM

Locations

Categories

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification

Comments

Pollen hunter project&#8211;III- Investigating pollen size with a scale

laksiyer | Wed, May 13, 2015, 9:35 PM

Locations

Categories

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification

Comments

Pollen hunter project–III- Investigating pollen size with a scale