Those samples that are on glass slides are also fragile. If samples could be duplicated by electronic means, rarity and fragility issues would cease to be a problem. Additionally, students should be trained with approximations of real working conditions. At present, teachers must resort to static photographic images that teach some identification skills but not the skills necessary to locate important features in the morass of a biological sample.
New technology affords a solution.
This cross-platform technology could be used for moving through the X and Y coordinates of a microscopic slide. Links could switch between arrays of images at different magnifications. Teaching, student evaluation, outreach programs, and proficiency testing could be facilitated by microscopic desktop computer simulations. This project will develop a world wide web site to assist in teaching laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections in humans. The web site will incorporate text, pictures, microscopic images, graphic illustrations and animation to present the essential information.