This Timelapse Shows a Cell Dividing Over 33 Hours

What to see what cell division looks like? Documentary and wildlife filmmaker Francis Chee captured it beautifully on camera. The amazing 23-second time-lapse above shows a frog egg dividing over 33 hours.

Chee shot the photos using a custom designed microscope based on the “infinity optical design” he built himself. Custom-made LED lights were used to illuminate the egg.

The microscope camera rig was placed on an anti-vibration table. Chee says that the tricky variables in the project included: ambient temperature, egg collection time, egg handling, the type of water, the camera quality, and more.

The result in the video above, is a CGI-esque video of a real tadpole egg dividing from 4 cells into millions.

(via Francis Chee via Sploid)