Visualizing the Biological » Biology http://www.micromacroart.com/blog Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:51:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Illustration http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/laparoscopic-cholecystectomy-illustration/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/laparoscopic-cholecystectomy-illustration/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:33:45 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=739 Otherwise known as removing the gallbladder, this surgery is often performed in a particular demographic remembered by the 4 F’s: fat, fertile, fair, female.  Often there are stones that have complicated the health of the patient, and this cute little organ has to go!  Fortunately, like a lot of surgeries, this one can be done laparoscopically, with the patient in and out of the hospital (although not fully recovered) in a single day.

Page 1:

Page 2:

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/laparoscopic-cholecystectomy-illustration/feed/ 0 Portfolio update: Sarcomere Poster http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/portfolio-update-sarcomere-poster/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/portfolio-update-sarcomere-poster/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:09:11 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=731 Finished Sarcomere/Myofibril/Muscle poster added to the portfolio! Click on the image to see it in context:

Sarcomere: Architecture and Function

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2010/01/portfolio-update-sarcomere-poster/feed/ 0 Heart painting http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/12/heart-painting/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/12/heart-painting/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:12:26 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=720 Recently finished is a small study of the internal heart wall – specifically the trabeculae carneae formations that run rampid in both ventricles.  Their function?  Opinions seem to vary, but they probably aid in contraction and the prevention of too much suction, besides offering a lovely visual surprise when you first dissect a real heart.

For anyone interested in other unique views of the heart, a priceless collection of videos is available via a University of Minnesota project: http://www.vhlab.umn.edu/atlas/index.shtml Not only can you look at internal structures from a myriad of angles, but you can also choose from a range of different hearts, which really underscores how common variations in structrues can be.

Heart TrabeculaeAvailable for purchase on etsy.

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/12/heart-painting/feed/ 0 Sarcomere poster, nearly finished http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/11/sarcomere-poster-nearly-finished/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/11/sarcomere-poster-nearly-finished/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:13:33 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=711 Happy thanksgiving all! Below is a poster about body tissues you probably weren’t using much today – skeletal muscle!

There was a final crit earlier this week on histology posters – I delved into the sarcomere and myofibril, the fun little network of contractile proteins within the muscle cell responsible for movement.  There are still adjustments to be done (color balance, too many warms), but all in all, is nearly done.

Projects like this always serve as a good lesson for everything that is not yet known about the human body. Actin and Myosin? Their stories have been told very well, but the Z disk and M line? not nearly as easy to research. There are always more proteins and elements than you originally assume, which if nothing else, certainly keep things interesting.

Muscle_Poster_web

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/11/sarcomere-poster-nearly-finished/feed/ 2 Sarcomere 1.0 http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/sarcomere-10/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/sarcomere-10/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:28 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=685 I’m working on a poster about sarcomere and myofibril architecture and function.  To that end, I’ve been finding out all sorts of fun facts about specific lengths and compositions of different myofibers.

With a significant amount of pdb data, here’s round 1, more revisions and updates coming. Click for a larger view, lots of proteins that can’t be seen in the small version below.

Sarcomere

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/sarcomere-10/feed/ 0 Basic Lipoprotein Coat Renders http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/basic-lipoprotein-coat-renders/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/basic-lipoprotein-coat-renders/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:10:47 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=681 I was playing with making lipoprotein phospholipid membranes this morning — the top is a whole and cut view of an HDL particle. Eventually these will be filled with cholesterol, triglycerides, and coated in apoproteins, and lit better.  The bottom is VLDL – notice how much larger it is!

Rendered with caustics and some subsurface scattering.

whole and cut views of phospholipids that make up HDL

whole and cut views of phospholipids that make up HDL

half of the phospholipids that encase VLDL particles

half of the phospholipids that encase VLDL particles

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/basic-lipoprotein-coat-renders/feed/ 0 Before and After: Kidney Update http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/before-and-after-kidney-update/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/before-and-after-kidney-update/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:36:46 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=673 I revisited a piece from last December — issues that had not stood out to me at the time suddenly seemed really obvious. Saturation was upped, wet lights put in, color reflections added, and the terrible masking job was softened.  Disregard the labels on the first one, they’re not important for this, unless of course you’re terribly curious about the anatomy of one of the cutest organs.

Click for a larger view of the after – on the default view I thought it only fair to give the two versions equal size.

BEFORE:

kidney_labeled_sm

AFTER:
kidney_update_web

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/10/before-and-after-kidney-update/feed/ 0 Inspirational Image Friday: Ashmole Vasculature http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/06/inspirational-image-friday-ashmole-vasculature/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/06/inspirational-image-friday-ashmole-vasculature/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:36:41 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=652 We’re digging into summer projects now, which means less time for blogging.

This week’s image is lighthearted -  I’m posting a 13th century diagram of veins found in the Ashmole Bestiary .  This was even before Vesalius’s work, and although the organs are pretty amusing (I love the snail like intestines!) you can still recognize specific veins we know today (i.e. facial, jugular, femoral.)

Interestingly, the image is labeled veins, but because they’re painted red and I can find little other information on this, I could just as soon read them as 13th century arteries.

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/06/inspirational-image-friday-ashmole-vasculature/feed/ 0 Guest Post – hand anatomy for guitarists http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/guest-post-hand-anatomy-for-guitarists/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/guest-post-hand-anatomy-for-guitarists/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 01:33:25 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=638 I’ve written a guest post describing hand anatomy over at The Classical Guitar Blog. It focuses on hand muscles, and few details are spared — part of the beauty of how the hands work is the impressive complexity and interplay of muscles that make them up. Go check it out!

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/guest-post-hand-anatomy-for-guitarists/feed/ 0 Inspirational Image Friday: Extreme Mammals at AMNH http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-extreme-mammals-at-amnh/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-extreme-mammals-at-amnh/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 01:22:22 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=615 On exhibition now through January at the American Museum of Natural History is fantastic sounding exhibit: EXTREME MAMMALS !  Looks like the webdesigners had some fun putting the exhibit site together — there’s no holding back on the sensationalism of the crazy creatures on view.

As the museum itself claims:

“Featuring spectacular fossils and other specimens from the Museum’s collections, vivid reconstructions, and live animals, the exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns.”

It also boasts multimedia use, hands on displays, and live sugar gliders.  AND, there’s even mention of the science tabloids latest headlines, Darwinius masillae, or Ida: definitely not a missing link but still a wonderfully preserved primitive mammal specimin.

Check out the Chinese pangolin echidna below.

Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), © AMNH/D. Finnin

Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), © AMNH/D. Finnin

More images, discussions, reviews, etc. below:

Exhibition Site

Born Animal Discovery News blog

New York Times review

Wired article

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-extreme-mammals-at-amnh/feed/ 1 Inspirational Image Friday: multimedia presentation by Frans Lanting http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-multimedia-presentation-by-frans-lanting/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-multimedia-presentation-by-frans-lanting/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 03:41:54 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=611 Anyone’s work that involves “visualizing the story of life” has me hooked.  Below is the Ted Talk presentation/ slideshow of Frans Lanting:  “A Journey Through Time.”  This multimedia work that premiered in 2006 involves great photography, dialogue/poetry, and music by Philip Glass, and aims to tell the story of life.  It starts from the ancient alien-like world of earth and moves forward, successfully conveying the beauty of evolution and humanity’s place in it.

Unlike other largely inspirational visual & scientific works, this one succeeds in being nearly as informative as it is beautiful.  Useful facts are cited throughout the journey, and there’s a great visualization tool of the photographs and their context in evolution on the www.lifethroughtime.com website.

Other Resources:

Frans Lanting Photography

LIFE: A Journey Through Time – this includes a preview of the slideshow, and a unique interactive viewing method of the photographs in situ with their place in evolution.

Wikipedia bio

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-multimedia-presentation-by-frans-lanting/feed/ 0 Inspirational Image Friday: Irises http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-irises/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-irises/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 12:24:55 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=591 update: looks like the photographer behind this work is the UK photographer Rankin.  There’s some great photography to peruse on the site.  Keep scrolling over in the “special projects” section to find the irises.

Also note this larger collection of his irises, here.  Again, scroll over to see them all.

——-

There’s a fabulous gallery of closeups of irises at the Chive. All the images are believed to be public domain, but unfortunately, there’s no other information going along with them — some are clearly pathologic, and I’m curious what the cause is (guesses, anyone?).

In any case, the images give a closer view of an already alluring body structure and reveal the delicacy of its form.

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/inspirational-image-friday-irises/feed/ 0 Ventricular Adjacent Anatomy http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/ventricular-adjacent-anatomy/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/ventricular-adjacent-anatomy/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 00:03:17 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=579 Plate designed for a neuroanatomy atlas.

Medium: pencil, photoshop.

The concept here is less the structures of the ventricles, than how the major neighboring structures lie in adjacent to the ventricles.  The adjacent anatomy isn’t shown, just where on the ventricles it creates a wall.  After all, ventricles are essentially the brain’s negative space; they’re filled with CSF and occasionally choroid plexus but no neurons/support cells.  It was rather a pain to research, because there are few good models and sources for the structures of ventricles, and oft times they’re rather variable and asymmetric anyways.

Ventricles and the Borders of Major Adjacent Anatomy

Ventricles and the Borders of Major Adjacent Anatomy

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/ventricular-adjacent-anatomy/feed/ 1 Eye Sketch http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/eye-sketch/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/eye-sketch/#comments Sun, 03 May 2009 12:38:49 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=570 I have yet to really do that gratuitous eye drawing that every artist at sometime does – so with a little more freetime, I took it up!  Here’s the resulting sketch, from a mirror, in charcoal:

eye-self-portrait-sketch_we

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/eye-sketch/feed/ 0 Circuit of Papez http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/circuit-of-papez/ http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/circuit-of-papez/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 21:12:01 +0000 mreinke http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/?p=562 Below: diagram showing the circuit of Papez.  This was a quick assignment – I think it’s useful to find out what you can pull off in one afternoon.

Physiologically, these pathways route through limbic system structures and are important in sustained emotional expression (i.e. “moods”).

Media: graphite, Photoshop

papez_comp_web2

]]> http://www.micromacroart.com/blog/2009/05/circuit-of-papez/feed/ 0