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Negative staining and cellulose microfibril size
Author(s) -
Preston R. D.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1971.tb02260.x
Subject(s) - microfibril , cellulose , staining , electron microscope , negative stain , cell wall , scanning electron microscope , materials science , chemistry , biophysics , crystallography , optics , composite material , physics , biology , biochemistry , genetics
SUMMARY Reason is given for the belief that an overlapping of images ensures a gross underestimate of cellulose microfibril width in plant cell walls observed both in section and negatively stained. Both theory and optical simulation of the electron‐microscope situation suggest that the error involves a factor of at least two or three times. These, and other considerations render doubtful the existence of elementary microfibrils as components of the broad (c . 20 nm) microfibrils of some seaweeds.