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A method for observing intracellular structures of free cells by scanning electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Fukudome Hatsuko,
Tanaka Keiichi
Publication year - 1986
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.1365-2818.1986.tb02713.x
Subject(s) - osmium , chitosan , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , electron microscope , intracellular , osmium tetroxide , materials science , biophysics , biochemistry , optics , composite material , biology , ruthenium , physics , catalysis
SUMMARY A new method is described for scanning electron microscopic observation of cultured free cells using chitosan embedding. Intracellular structures of free cells can be clearly observed using a combination of the chitosan embedding and the Osmium–DMSO–Osmium (O–D–O) method. Chitosan, a polysaccharide, is not affected by the osmium maceration procedure central to the O–D–O method, which destroys other possible embedding media such as gelatin, agar, egg albumin and fibrin. Chitosan cracks to yield a fracture face which is featureless at low magnifications, and causes no recognizable artefacts.