Biomaterial Database

[A view of tropical biology through the electron microscope]. 2002

Francisco Hernández-Chavarría

Facultad de Microbiología, Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. hchavarr@cariari.ucr.ac.cr

The first electron microscope in Costa Rica was a donation from the government of Japan through its International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1974. This donation made possible the consolidation of what was to become the University of Costa Rica's Electron Microscope Unit (UME). Within three years the first scientific papers were published, dealing with ultrastructural aspects of "Corn's rayado fino virus" and rotavirus, viral agent of human diarrhea. Subsequent papers out of the UME were published for the most part in the Journal of Tropical Biology, totaling at least 50 in that journal alone by the year 2000. With the recent acquisition of Energy Dispersive Spectrometer to coupled in transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope to X ray analysis, the data acquisition of the UME has been greatly enhanced, making possible to analyze both structure and elemental chemical composition in a specimen. Other applications of this new technology include studies of environmental pollution with heavy metals, such as comparative analysis of residues on leaves from urban areas and those on leaves from primary forest.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D012106	Research	Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed)	Research Priorities,Laboratory Research,Research Activities,Research and Development,Activities, Research,Activity, Research,Development and Research,Priorities, Research,Priority, Research,Research Activity,Research Priority,Research, Laboratory
D003364	Costa Rica	A country in CENTRAL AMERICA, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between NICARAGUA and PANAMA.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001690	Biological Science Disciplines	All of the divisions of the natural sciences dealing with the various aspects of the phenomena of life and vital processes. The concept includes anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and biophysics, and the biology of animals, plants, and microorganisms. It should be differentiated from BIOLOGY, one of its subdivisions, concerned specifically with the origin and life processes of living organisms.	Biological Sciences,Life Sciences,Biologic Sciences,Biological Science,Science, Biological,Sciences, Biological,Biologic Science,Biological Science Discipline,Discipline, Biological Science,Disciplines, Biological Science,Life Science,Science Discipline, Biological,Science Disciplines, Biological,Science, Biologic,Science, Life,Sciences, Biologic,Sciences, Life
D014329	Tropical Climate	A climate which is typical of equatorial and tropical regions, i.e., one with continually high temperatures with considerable precipitation, at least during part of the year. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Climate, Tropical,Climates, Tropical,Tropical Climates
D015706	Bibliometrics	The use of statistical methods in the analysis of a body of literature to reveal the historical development of subject fields and patterns of authorship, publication, and use. Formerly called statistical bibliography. (from The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science, 1983)	Bibliography, Statistical,Analysis, Bibliometric,Bibliographies, Statistical,Bibliometric Analysis,Statistical Bibliographies,Statistical Bibliography,Analyses, Bibliometric,Bibliometric Analyses
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D049674	History, 21st Century	Time period from 2001 through 2100 of the common era.	21st Century History,21st Cent. History (Medicine),21st Cent. History of Medicine,21st Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 21st Century,History of Medicine, 21st Cent.,History, Twenty-first Century,Medical History, 21st Cent.,Medicine, 21st Cent.,21st Cent. Histories (Medicine),21st Cent. Medicines,21st Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 21st (Medicine),Cent. History, 21st (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 21st,Cent. Medicines, 21st,Century Histories, 21st,Century Histories, Twenty-first,Century History, 21st,Century History, Twenty-first,Histories, 21st Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 21st Century,Histories, Twenty-first Century,History, 21st Cent. (Medicine),History, Twenty first Century,Medicines, 21st Cent.,Twenty-first Century Histories,Twenty-first Century History