Premium
Teaching Nematode Anatomy Online: WormAtlas and Slidable Worm
Author(s) -
Hall David H,
Crocker Chris,
Norris Carolyn R,
Herndon Laura A,
Lints Robyn,
Altun Zeynep F
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.769.10
Subject(s) - glossary , anatomy , computer science , visualization , caenorhabditis elegans , atlas (anatomy) , section (typography) , world wide web , biology , information retrieval , artificial intelligence , linguistics , philosophy , biochemistry , gene , operating system
We have constructed a website ( www.wormatlas.org ) which describes all cells and tissues of the hermaphrodite and male Caenorhabditis elegans for teaching purposes. New data will soon cover tissue development in the embryo. Imaging modalities used in the atlas include LM/DIC, confocal imaging, SEM, serial section electron microscopy (TEM), and illustrations depicting basic concepts and relationships for nematode development and physiology. Among various sections, the Handbook is designed as a text‐based resource with annotated images, which are color‐coded for individual tissues. The Slidable Worm uses Zoomify (open source) to view consecutive TEM sections of the worm at incremental magnifications, with or without color‐coded annotations. A Glossary defines all anatomical terms, with links to text and images. The site also offers an anatomical methods section, “neuron pages” describing individual cells of the nervous system, and HTML‐converted canonical anatomy texts. A printed version of the atlas is available as a portable resource ( C. elegans Atlas, Hall and Altun, 2008, CSHL Press). Related websites that can be linked via the atlas offer catalogues of archival TEM images ( www.wormimage.org ) or GFP images ( www.gfpworm.org ), and a discussion forum for the worm community. Many C. elegans labs have supplied key data for this work, which is supported by NIH RR 12596.