Volume 222 Issue 7, 7 April 2017
The SEM series: Foot and mouth
Each cover in volume 222 of the BDJ will feature a scanning electron microscope image showing bacteria or tissues found in the mouth. Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) allow us to look at surfaces in nano-dimensions, 100 million times smaller than the human eye can see. They work by using beams of electrons instead of light rays. These electrons bounce off the surface of the material in question and are directed at a screen (like a cathode-ray TV screen) where they display a picture of the surface.
This issue features an SEM illustration of Aphthae epizooticae virus, better known as foot-and-mouth disease. This is predominantly a disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, and which features blisters on the inside of the mouth and on the feet. Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease, but this is extremely rare. The disease is therefore a much greater threat to the agriculture industry than to human health.
Credit: SUSUMU NISHINAGA/Science Photo Library
Editorial
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