Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 22.1 Left. Drawing of a complex set of spindles in an abnormal division of an Ascaris
megalocephala egg by Boveri (
1888
). Middle. Interpretation of a Chlamydomonas cell (acrylic on
canvas).
Right.
Head
2010
(acrylic,
paper,
cloth,
thread),
see
Portfolio
at
AmeliaRoseSalisbury.com
The first element of Boveri's process of discovery lies in an unencumbered
freedom for the keen application of direct observation. In Boveri's time, armed
only with the light microscope and the meticulous preparation of specimens,
investigations into cell structure and function resulted first in a mental construct
that represented the synthesis of many hours of observation. The outcome of
microscopic studies was finally depicted in remarkable drawings of cytoplasmic
detail that approach ultrastructural resolution (Fig.
22.1
). The power of the mind to
perceive beyond the practical limits of resolution of the light microscope is not
unlike that of Abstract Impressionism or Cubism where multiple dimensions,
times, or views are captured onto a single two-dimensional canvas. I have an artist
friend who exemplifies this very style. She grew up in a scientific household before
the advent of digital microscopy. During her youth on Saturday mornings instead
of watching TV she spent hours at the microscope peering at histology slides that
her father used to prepare for teaching. Today, her paintings reflect a vibrant
palette that demonstrates the lasting impact of hematoxylin and eosin on the mind
(Fig.
22.1
). Contrast direct observation and unencumbered thought with the
methods of today, where tagged-reporters are recorded as an expanded range of
threshold intensities, projected directly on a CCD camera, and following varying
degrees of computer processing onto a RGB monitor or CMYK printer. Today, the
optics of the human eye and mental processing can be omitted entirely from the
production of microscopic images. Obviously, power of digital microscopy cannot
be denied and can be scientifically and esthetically satisfying in its own right, but
we must not forget to look first to see what can be seen. The Nobel laureate and
visionary Richard Feynman who thought deeply about light made this very clear in
a lecture on the future direction of microscopy…''It is easy to answer
many…fundamental biological questions: you just look at the thing!'' (Feynman
1959
, reprinted 1992).
