University of São Paulo: Virtual exhibition brings together microscopic images of the human body
Microscopic images of different tissues that demonstrate how the aesthetics of the human body is constituted and how its harmony is disturbed by diseases. This is the content of the virtual exhibition Histology, the study of what constitutes us, promoted by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) at USP, available at this link .
The exhibition is part of the ICB Exhibition Center – Science and Art project, which aims to offer society an artistic look at science, demonstrating the beauty and importance of the activities developed at the University. The idea is also to show in an accessible way to the public more complex concepts that are dealt with in scientific research.
When visiting the exhibition, the participant starts from the advance of microscopy, which allowed a better understanding of how the human body works, something pursued since Hippocrates, in Ancient Greece, in his work as a doctor. With this technology, it was possible to see the cells that, together, form the tissues of the body. This advance allowed the development of histology, an area of study dedicated to biological tissues. The exhibition then leads the visitor to realize that images of slides, radiographs and anatomical pieces can show not only science, but also art.
Democratization of microscopy
The virtual exhibition talks about the accessible microscopes created by the Department of Cell Biology and Development of the ICB that are being made for public schools as a way of encouraging the teaching of science. The microscopes are produced in plastic through 3D printing and use the cell phone camera to enlarge the view of the analyzed slide. They are part of a kit that includes histological tissues and teaching material to help teachers teach histology.
The initiative also includes interviews with researchers who deal with the dialogue between aesthetics and the science of the human body. In the first video, called Leukemia: understanding to treat, professor João Agostinho explains the types of cancer and how science can help those who have the disease. In the second video, Professor Fernanda Ortis deals with diabetes and how it affects our tissues. Click on the players below to check it out: