Syllis gracilis (a species of marine bioluminescent polychaete worms): false-colour volume rendering of virtually dissected proventricle. The length of the proventricle and the number of its muscle rows are important diagnostic systematic characters in the family. The strong muscle fibres of the proventricle are very visible, and through virtual dissection their three-dimensional …
Figure 1: Micro-CT volumetric rendering of a triggerfish imaged using the SkyScan 1273 To best match the wide range of sample sizes encountered in cataloging natural specimens, the SkyScan 1273 was used for this work to examine a small triggerfish as part of a larger subset of samples. The SkyScan 1273 accommodates …
Figure 1: Micro-CT volumetric rendering of a strawberry seed imaged As we move into the height of summer, the season’s new crops begin to blossom, including a popular summer treat–the strawberry. Often known for its tart flavor and bright red hues, we often overlook all the little seeds present on the surface of …
Microcomputer tomography (microCT) as a tool in Pinus tree breeding: pilot studies Pinus breeding programs yield high numbers of seeds, but a non-destructive method to determine seed viability was needed. The Pinus species has a long reproductive cycle — up to 28 months — so determining when fertilization occurs is helpful when …
Picture composition of volume rendering reconstructions of honey bee workers in their daily activities: foraging and sipping nectar on a daisy flower (Aster sp.). To point out the internal structures the insect and the flower have been “virtually” cut by using the free Skyscan’s software CTVox. Colors were obtained varying the color …
Figure 1: Volumetric rendering of a chemically dried cicada imaged using the SkyScan 1275 The Importance of Sample Preparation With a large emergence of the local cicada population along the East coast predicted this year, we decided to re-visit a past specimen and once again examine a cicada with our image of the …
Structure of cuttlefish bone in 3D, field of view here is roughly 0.5 mm. This structure is extremely lightweight while maintaining good strength and structural integrity despite the pressures exerted on it during deep dives of the cuttlefish. “Looking deep into nature: A review of micro-computed tomography in biomimicry, CT Scanner Facility, Stellenbosch …
Figure 1: Photograph of 3D printed shark denticles extracted from micro-CT imaging data Biomimicry of Shark Denticles Although it is commonly known that most fish species have scales, it may be less widely known that shark skin goes one step further with the presence of denticles more like teeth than traditional scales. While …
Figure 1: Photograph of beans moving from unroasted, to medium roast, to dark roast Roasting coffee beans causes meaningful changes in their microstructure, such as the increase in total pore volume, porosity, and density due to the rupture of bonds in the internal structure of the coffee beans during roasting. These changes …
Enhancing Micro-CT methods to quantify oil content and porosity in starch-gluten matrices Oil and porosity in fried dough were quantified in this study using micro-CT image analysis. “The objective of this study was to explore the potential application of different agents to enhance x-ray attenuation in fried starch-gluten products, quantify oil content …