Information about the professional version of Dr. Jastrow's Light- and Electron Microscopic Atlas

This atlas also contains a few movies of living human sperm cells

Link to the German version of this page

Short description:
This light- and electron microscopic atlas contains over 4,300 original digital original images of very high quality and very high resolution deriving from man, monkey or mammals. Where technically possible one can "zoom" from macrophotographies via light microscopic images up to the cell organelles which are only visible in electron microscopy. Comprehensive texts provide detailed informationon practically all tissues, organs, cell organelles & structures. Plenty of pictures labelled in great detail. Interlinked texts and a vocabulary which also contains background information on many biochemical substances in English and German explain cellular structures in a generally intelligible way and demonstrate interrelations as well as correlations of structure and function. All images of this atlas can be quickly and easily integrated in own presentations.

Demo pages in high resolution:
Selection of pages (screen snapshots) that demonstrate the resolution and quality of the professional Version
(Clicking any miniaturized image calls up the original sized image. The file size is given in MB)

1. Overview pages providing miniatures of original pictures (page from the www demo version with active links is loaded when lower text is clicked)					2. Sample animation (click for high resolution)
Heterolysosomes with text 3.5 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Hyaline cartilage with text 5.1 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Lung images only 1.4 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Esophagus images only 1.3 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Synaptic bodies with text 1.6 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Stereo animation of a reconstructed rod ribbon synapse 11.3 MB

3. Zooming in: from macrophotography to ultrastructural detail on the example of the duodenum (Please click on the thumbnails for higher resolution!)
Macrophotography of the mucosa of a human duodenum 0.1 MB	Detail thereof in original resolution with villi of the duodenum  0.1 MB	Histological X-section  of duodenum in  2.1 MB	A detail photography thereof shows villi and crypts 1.2 MB	Detail photography of the mucosa with enterocytes 0.8 MB	electron microscopic image of an enterocyte 4.4 MB	detail micrograph thereof showing formation of chylomicrons4.0 MB

4. Digital original micrographs in original quality and resolution (Please click on the thumbnails for higher resolution!)
Endocrine cell (prolactinocyte) of the pituitary 3.4 MB	Liver cell (hepatocyte) and Disse's space 2.9 MB	Human neutrophilic granulocyte 4.3 MB	Schwann cell of the submucous  plexus (Colon) 4.3 MB	Human eosinophilic granulocyte 4.1 MB	histological overview of a human kidney 5.9 MB	Macrophotography of a human bone with trabecules 2,2 MB

5. Labelled images (page with active links from the www demo version is loaded when the lower text is clicked)				6. Lecture images (in German)			7. Page of the vocabulary (part)
Ganglion cell 1.5 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Junctional complex 1.8 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Organ of Corti 1.0 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Human mast cell 1.1 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Lysosomes 1.1 MB Page of the www-version for comparison	Start page of lecture foils to the schematic drawing of cell structures 1.9 MB - not available on the www	Corresponding foil 5 showing original images of ribosomes 1.4 MB - not available on the www	Terms beginning with A 1.6 MB Page of the www-version for comparison

7. examples of some new pages only present in the professional version (Please click on the thumbnails for higher resolution! Only the beginning of the pages with the overview of available images is shown)								9. Films of living sperms
								This and other motion pictures are available in HD resolution
Overview alimentary canal*	Overview eye and eye structures*	Rectum and anal canal	Spinal chord	Tongue	Apocrine sweat glands	Outer and middle ear	Flagella and sperm cells	Trapped moving human sperm cell

* These pages lead to further image overview pages with explaining texts
 

Fig.1a: Start page of the professional version	Fig.1b: Start page of the German version	Fig.2a: English index (beginning)	Fig.2b: German index (beginning)	Fig.3: Start page of the included vocabulary	Fig.4: Schematic cell with organelles

Please click on the images to see them in original resolution!

Detailed description:
Anatomical basic (and special) knowledge is of major impact in basic and further education. It is an important basis for understanding medicine, physiology, common and molecular cell biology, pathology, biochemistry, pharmacology and further disciplines of the biomedical instruction and research field. In this context a profound knowledge of cell and tissue ultrastructures (structures which are too small to be visible in the light microscope) is an excellent key to understand life processes and the reason of many diseases. In this context original images of splendid quality and resolution showing real ultrastructures are essential. However there are few text books or other sources of images available which offer sufficiently detailed electron-micrographs in a number that allows to get a general overview.
Dr. Jastrow's Light- and Electron microscopic atlas gives realistic ideas of ultrastructures by means of over 2,350 large, high-quality digital transmission and some scanning electron microscopic original images. Further, over 150 macrophotographies of original preparations of many organs and over 1,750 light microscopic images in very high quality and resolution allow to zoom into organs from overview via light microscopy to fine electron microscopic detail (see below) The pretty complete image library of cells, tissues and organs was taken from preparations of man and/or mammals (monkey, rat, pig, mouse, guinea pig). The majority of pictures are multiple image aligned digital micrographs acquired with a slow-scan CCD camera, others are high quality scanned original micrographs or inversely scanned plate-film negatives. Artefacts were thoroughly removed and unequal illumination was corrected in most included images eventually additional sharpening was applied to offer best possible quality in the digital images which are stored as maximum quality encoded jpg files in the atlas. Choice of material is based on quality and relevance for instruction on colleges, high-schools and universities. Since the resolution of the images is mostly superior to 2.000 x 3.000 pixels very considerably more details are visible in comparison to the internet version of the atlas. Every topic is covered by many different images generally from overviews in lower magnification to very high resolution detail pictures.

The start page (Fig.1a) in English as well as the German one (Fig. 1b) lists important key words which are ordered thematically. It shows an overview table of organelles, nuclear, cellular and extracellular structures, the 4 basic tissues, organs and organ systems. Pages providing information and image overviews are linked to the key words. An English index page (Fig.2a; lacking in the www-version) allows a direct look-up of over 4,300 English terms and a German one (Fig.2b) even >5,350 German terms in explaining texts on the pages of the atlas. Further links form the index page lead to the main page of the integrated vocabulary of microscopic anatomy and biochemical substances (Fig.3, Demo 7), providing information on vitamins, hormones and other topics in an alphabetical choice. Further there are links to pages explaining specimen preparation, to pages with images of transmission and scanning electron microscopes. In addition, the overview page of the images provided to the course of microscopic anatomy of the university of Mainz (Germany) and a page listing the abbreviations used for labelling are linked to appropriate texts on the main index page of the atlas. By clicking on "The Cell" a page is called up which shows a schematic drawing of an idealised cell (Fig.4) showing all relevant ultrastructures e.g., organelles and surface specialisations. The given names are linked to further overview pages providing appropriate information and image overviews. The German main page further offers a link to most instructive lecture images of cell structures with short key words in German (sample).

Miniature images with key word-like legends (samples) allow quick retrieval of interesting material. When clicking on an image the appropriate original image is shown as high-resolution image file (samples) providing all available details. A click on the legend of one of the over 250 labelled images leads to a page explaining the image (samples). Such pages show the whole image scaled down to a height of 500 pixels for better overview. All relevant structures are labelled with uniform abbreviations which are explained in a legend in generally intelligible way (presently in German, English translation in progress, some English pages are already available; samples). Further the atlas contains a few animations of reconstructions of retinal ribbon synapses and synaptic ribbons (sample) and 6 films of living sperms in HD resolution.

The atlas demonstrates and explains nearly all structures of cells tissues and organs. The detailed information is helpful for biology lessons in schools, colleges, high-schools and lectures, courses, seminars and other teaching events in universities. They are very use useful for basic and continued education not only in anatomy but also in all other disciplines of the biomedical research and teaching field, e.g., in pathology, molecular cell biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, clinical and biological instruction and research. The material is of value for public teaching as well as for individual learning or recapitulation. The atlas may be used as reference for "normal" ultrastructure and is a source of images and information for science, research and teaching. Selected images are used for demonstration and examination in histology courses at some places, e.g., the J. Gutenberg-University (Mainz, Germany). This choice of didactical valuable images is shown on special pages of the atlas. An intranet version installed on a password protected local network easily allows lecturers, employees, teachers and students of an institution to access the whole material as a source of images for inclusion in presentations, lectures, course or examination materials or as learning materials to understand interrelations of structure and function. Since anatomical terms and topics are explained in detail  in a generally intelligible way the atlas is of value for specialist training, medical, dental and biological instruction, training in medicine associated professions, biology lessons and self-information of lay public. The labelling of structures follows the international nomenclature (Terminologia histologica) and a vast amount of (but not all) pages are available in English which allows an international use of this unique knowledge and image database. The atlas is internationally used since years by teachers of biology, high-school teachers, lecturers and medical professionals and intranet versions are used in several universities by lecturers, instructors and students. The atlas can also be used as reference of "normal" ultrastructures for comparison with own preparations. For a majority of anatomical structures a "zoom in" in many steps is possible. Where possible macrophotographies taken from living humans of a whole structure via light microscopic pictures in increasing magnification lead to images of organelles of the cells comprising the structure which are visible in electron micrographs.

The organization of the atlas allows the user to retrieve the personally relevant information interactively. Links from key words or short descriptions lead to image overviews, original images and detailed information about cell organelles in a way that a comprehensive understanding of ultrastructural interrelations is enabled. The splendid high resolution original images give a realistic picture of cell and tissue ultrastructures and in case of labelled images allow to check the own skill of knowledge. Compared to conventional often unwieldy, expensive and difficult to get comprehensive textbooks this atlas allows to see a great number of images and to get information on a topic easily using interactive link technology. Updates of this atlas which is under constant development and extension can be easily integrated and realise suggestions for improvements by users. The atlas is a detailed, extensive and easily accessible addition to other instructive material particularly since at present no comparable products are available neither in the internet nor as commercial software.

Comparison to other products:
This atlas differs from other commercial offers by its exceptional large number of images cleaned from artefacts which are provided in very high resolution and quality. Also the e-versions of textbooks which I know do not provide images in comparable resolutions and very often schematic drawings replace the true appearance of structures which can only be demonstrated in their true nature by means of original images. Though the atlas is not absolutely complete at present, this life-work of over 20 years is constantly extended and optimized and already contains "uncountable" very detailed interlinked information and high quality images to nearly all organs and structures. Students profit from it while learning and understanding microscopic anatomy. Thousands of links allow to look up unclear facts quickly and it is possible to see nearly everything that light and electron microscopy can offer. For instructors it is easy to copy any image from the atlas and to insert it into own presentations, e.g., lecture foils. In this way it is possible to save the time otherwise required to obtain images from other sources.

Perspective:
The atlas and the attached vocabulary are constantly extended and reviewed, this includes new images and texts/text additions/corrections/updates. It is planned to label all images in detail and to provide a virtually complete atlas of human and mammalian ultrastructure including all kinds of cells, organs and structures as an international reference base in English and German perhaps in other languages as well. All items, topics and structures shall be explained according to actual knowledge and shall be demonstrated by a variety of different splendid high-resolution original images.

References:
The professional version of Dr. Jastrow's EM-Atlas is a further development of the internet atlas of electron microscopy which was first presented in the "Deutsches Ärzteblatt" (DÄB 98, issue 41B: 2290-2292 [12.10.2001], as well as supplement Praxis Computer 5/2001: 17-20. Article in PDF format). A former version was presented on the 96th meeting of the Anatomical society at Münster, Germany on 25 March 2001 (Presentation No. 83; Abstract published in Annals of Anatomy 183 (Suppl.), p. 50-51. (Internet version of this presentation). A considerable number of e-mails and server statistics of the internet version prove a very high interest in this offer. Feedback from lecturers, teachers, students and pupils indicate that the atlas is a very useful and suitable aid for lecture course and exam preparation. The publication "On the use and value of new media and how medical students assess their effectiveness in learning anatomy" (Anatomical Record B Volume 280B, Issue 1: 20-29 [Sept. 2004]; Abstract & link to pdf) clearly demonstrates student's demand for high quality original image material, comprehensive explaining texts focused on the essentials offering exam relevant knowledge and additional electronic teaching material which is easy to handle.

Technical information and system requirements:
The atlas is provided as download and actually contains over 12.8 GB of data. After installation on a hard disk drive it may be used with help of any common internet browser software (which is not provided on the media) on IBM® compatible PCs. It was tested with Microsoft Edge^®, Google Chrome^®, Internet Explorer^® from Version 3 and Mozilla Firefox^®. Since the atlas aims to present essentials as fast and easy as possible no complicated java script operations or decorative animations are applied. The atlas consists of .html pages, jpg images and a few mp4 coded .avi animations. Thus it is running under Windows^® as well as Linux and other operation systems. An HD resolution monitor with suitable graphic card offering a resolution of at least 1,920 x 1,080 pixels is recommended since the atlas is optimized to this resolution. Otherwise only very small parts of the large original images are visible when looking in original resolution.

Demo version on the internet:
The atlas is published freely accessible in the WWW in a considerably reduced manner (image resolution and quality are very significantly lower, NO index page, NO macrophotographies, NO images from histology). Please note that the www version has NOT been updated since December 2013. For this reason the presently over 100 new pages (see below) and all updates of the professional version, which is under constant further development, are NOT available online.
To examine the www-version use this link, please: http://www.drjastrow.de/WAI/EM/EMAtlas.html

I am happy to answer your further questions:
Holger Jastrow

PD Dr. med. Holger Jastrow homepage address E-mail: info@drjastrow.de

Imprint - Data protection policy