Many people visit the American Museum of Natural History to view the preserved specimens of dinosaurs and extinct animals, but the Museum also has a collection of about 80 live cultures of microorganisms, including algae.
Here is what the Museum has to say about episode 11, “Green Grow the Salamanders,” of their popular Shelf Life series::
This episode of Shelf Life looks at how Museum researchers are currently studying the surprising role single-celled algae play in the life of the spotted salamander—and comes on the heels of the opening of a new exhibition, “The Secret World Inside You,” that is all about the intricate relationship between humans and the invisible microbes that live on us and in us. The Museum’s collections house many eye-catching items, from the towering Tyrannosaurus to striking totem poles. But there is also a whole category of significant specimens that are imperceptible to the naked eye. We’re talking microbes: single-celled organisms stored in petri dishes or on glass slides.
“Green Grow the Salamanders” and other Shelf Life videos are published by GotScience.org by agreement with the American Museum of Natural History.
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