Question

Which type of microscope would you use to view the three dimensional arrangement of cells in a biofilm community? explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Please find the answer in the following image

The biofilms are formed by bacteria and other organisms live together in the form of groups (same bacteria or other species of bacteria) and grow on the surfaces and also secrets the mucopolysaccharides into the environment for attachment. The biofilms are formed on the substratum or on the surface of leaf or glass. The Confocal laser scanning microscopy can be used for observation of biofilm bacteria present on the surfaces. Because they are very tiny in nature with in the range of micron length and we are observing the surface topography of biofilm bacterial cells and that can be done by confocal laser electron microscope and for depth or thickness of biofilm (layers of biofilm) along with 3D digital image the best choice is the Confocal laser scanning microscopy. The bacteria can be labeled with fluorescent dye and after that it can be viewed under confocal laser scanning microscope. When the laser of the confocal microscope hits the biofilm bacterial sample it emits the photons from fluorophores present in the sample bacteria and the laser can scan the entire surface of bacterial film by pixel to pixel due to that we can contract the three dimensional digital image of the observing biofilm bacteria. Advantages 1. Scan the surface and topography 2. 3D digital image formation 3. The fluorescent probe for viewing of bacteria in the sample 4. Measure the thickness of the biofilm or layers of bacterial cells