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Fibers
This is part of a guide to the identification of particles seen in samples of free particles. This file includes all particles that have approximately parallel sides and are at least five times as long as they are wide.
ISOTROPIC FIBERS
These are particles that are dark when viewed between crossed polarizing filters. They tend to be glass (inorganic or organic), fungal fragments, algae fragments, bacterial sheaths, or silica phytoliths.
ANISOTROPIC FIBERS
These are particles that are bright when viewed between crossed polarizing filters.
Fibers with Internal Cells or internal Voids
These particles tend to be plant fibers, plant hairs, animal hairs, insect hairs, or fungal structures.
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Click here for more images of Plant Fibers.)
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Click here for more images of Plant hairs.)
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Click here for more images of Mammal hairs.)
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Click here for more images of Insect Hairs.)
Fibers with Striations Parallel to Length
These particles tend to be mineral fibers, insect silks, or man-made plastic fibers though some plant fibers may also fall into this category.
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Click here for more images of Fibrous Minerals.)
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Click here for more images of Clothing Fiber.)
Fibers with Striations at an Angle to Length
These structures may also be called nodes and occur in many plant fibers but may also occur in some man-made plastic fibers.
Fibers with Tapered Terminations
These fibers may grow tapered ends, like hairs of plants and animals, or may plastically deform and taper prior to final break. Paper fibers also tend to have tapered ends.
Fibers with Broomed Ends
These fibers tend to be fibers that consist of bundles of parallel finer fibers referred to as fibrils. They include some plant fibers, mammalian hair, some natural mineral fibers, and some soft polymers that form zones of stress-aligned fibrils when under load (i.e. polypropylene).
Fibers that Keep Dividing into Finer Fibers Parallel to Length
These fibers tend to be mineral fibers, including those identified as asbestos.
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Click here for more images of Fibrous Minerals.)
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