Odd... Cell?

[Nevermore]

My sister has an infected lymph node, and I was having a look at some of her puss. I found this. What is it?

[[Tycho?]]

Nice picture. What did you use to take that?

 

I know nothing about bio, so can't help with your question.

[Nevermore]

I just lined my camera up with my microscope eye peice.

[Hegemony]

Perhaps with a scale or some H&E staining it would be easier to tell.

[Nevermore]

That is at 400x

[lucaspa]

It's mononuclear. Probably a monocyte or a leukocyte. You say it was in the pus? Then possibly a dying monocyte or leukocyte. That would account for the odd shape (both cells should be spherical). Or perhaps your processing squished it.

[Hades]

thats beautiful. thick membrane

[insane_alien]

aahh star trek communicator badge disease. she'll be fine in a few days but might not be able to contact the enterprise if the is an ion flux in the atmosphere.

[lucaspa]

thats beautiful. thick membrane

 

I don't think the thick portion is the membrane. I think it is an artifact of the processing. I suspect it is the edges of the liquid in which the cell is suspended -- the rest has dried up. The cell membrane parallels the thick part just inside it.

[Bluenoise]

I'd say that you're correct. The thick part and curve at the bottom is probably part of the environment around the cell. Probably some water combined with various glycoproteins/ other cell matrix materials producing a kind of jelly effect. The object within is probably a White blood cells (a.k.a. leukocytes).

 

Staining it would really help but it does look somewhat like one of these no?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukocyte

[lucaspa]

I'd say that you're correct. The thick part and curve at the bottom is probably part of the environment around the cell. Probably some water combined with various glycoproteins/ other cell matrix materials producing a kind of jelly effect. The object within is probably a White blood cells (a.k.a. leukocytes).

 

Staining it would really help but it does look somewhat like one of these no?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukocyte

 

I think so. I'd say "monocyte" but it could easily be one of the granulocytes. The OPer said he got this from a sample of pus. So the thick part would be consistent with water combined with proteins/components left over from dead bacteria and cells. We don't know much more about the processing of the tissue, and I don't think the poster has access to stains, unfortunately.