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The use of high‐voltage electron microscopy and semi‐thick sections for examination of cyanobacterial thylakoid membrane arrangements
Author(s) -
NierzwickiBauer S. A.,
Balkwill D. L.,
Stevens S. E.
Publication year - 1984
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.1365-2818.1984.tb00462.x
Subject(s) - thylakoid , electron microscope , membrane , microscopy , cytoplasm , biophysics , materials science , optics , chemistry , chloroplast , biology , physics , biochemistry , gene
SUMMARY High‐voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) of semi‐thick sections was evaluated as a technique for studying thylakoid membrane arrangements in cyanobacterial cells. Semi‐thick sections (0·25 μm) provided important information that was relatively difficult or impractical to obtain by viewing either randomly or serially cut thin sections. Specifically, the semi‐thick sections were better suited for visualizing (i) overall thylakoid arrangements and (ii) interconnections between the thylakoids and the cytoplasmic membrane. By comparison, randomly cut thin sections frequently yielded deceptively incomplete or inconsistent data in regard to these specific features. Tilting of thick sections about two perpendicular axes served to improve the clarity of complex membranous intersections and other cell features.