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Spore biology4/2/2024 ![]() ![]() To study fungal spores, basidia, cystidia, sphaerocysts and other tiny features of fungi you will need a microscope capable of at least x 400 magnification. Spores of Lactarius azonites, seen via an oil immersion microscope lens But if you think an optical microscope is an expensive tool for something that for most of us is just a hobby, don’t even contemplate remortgaging your house for a bottom-of-the-range x-ray microscope. X-ray wavelengths are much shorter than those of light waves, and so much more detail can be studied using x-ray microscopy. That’s because the fine structures of fungi are very small - some are close to the limit of what can be resolved using light. Toy microscopes are okay for looking at animal and plant structures, but for mycology you really do need a good microscope. Here are a few tips on choosing and using a microscope for this purpose. Microscopic investigation is something best done indoors when you have enough time to do things properly. There is no point in doing so unless there is something that you can do at home that you couldn’t do in the field. ![]() ![]() When you can’t identify a fungus in the field you might want to bring a sample home for further study. The information below is a summarized extract from Pat O'Reilly's book, 'Fascinated by Fungi'. Microscopes and the Amateur Mycologist - a Beginner's Guide ![]()
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