Like a living work of art, a chick embryo's beating heart and
intricate pattern of blood vessels are exposed as it's injected with
ink under a microscope. Captured by biologist Anna Franz from the University of Oxford as she attempted the technique for the first time, the video has just won first place in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.
The
movie shows how blood vessels inside and outside the embryo are
connected, as well as revealing the direction of blood flow through
arteries and veins. The technique is often used by researchers to
visualise how nutrients and oxygen are transported to an embryo and to
study how a heart functions and develops.
According to Franz, the
procedure was relatively quick and easy to perform. A window was first
cut into the egg to expose the 72 hour-old embryo before it was placed
under a microscope. Then a capillary needle was carefully inserted into
an artery in the yolk sac, releasing ink throughout the network of
blood vessels.
The technique gives insight into both chick and
human circulatory systems since they are very similar. "An increased
understanding of the development and function of the heart and blood
vessels can help to discover novel ways of healing wounds and treating
cancer and cardiovascular diseases," says Franz.
If you enjoyed this video, watch the first seconds of blood flow in a zebrafish embryo or see a fruit fly embryo brought to life in 3D.
http://www.newscientist.com
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