Fig 1: Detailed conceptual rendering of the observed microorganism (*Image is for illustrative purposes only)
[!NOTE] *All microorganism images used in this article are 3D CG concept illustrations.
“Penicillium” is a highly popular microscopic organism for microscope observation due to its unique shape and active ecology.
Ecology and Characteristics
This organism is commonly found in freshwater environments around aquatic plants and soil detritus, where it moves actively by beating cilia or flagella. The real-time expansion and contraction of various internal organelles (such as food vacuoles and contractile vacuoles) showcase the intricate nature of life.
Observation and Culturing Tips
- Spread a thin layer of collected muddy water onto a Petri dish and scan the field of view under the microscope.
- When exposed to moderate light from a fiber optic or LED light source, individuals containing chloroplasts exhibit phototaxis, swimming towards the light.
- For culturing, adding a very tiny amount of a highly diluted dry yeast solution once a week without polluting the water allows you to maintain and observe the colony over the long term.