Abstract
THE technique of X-ray microanalysis, using a finely focused beam of electrons to excite characteristic X rays from the elements present in a specimen, is proving to be a powerful tool in the investigation of biological systems. Its main limitation has been that, in common with all electron-optical methods, the specimen must first be stabilised by removal or immobilisation of cell and interstitial water. Conventional chemical fixation techniques give excellent structural preservation, but also cause gross permeability changes in cell membranes and, together with subsequent dehydration, lead to substantial loss or redistribution of free electrolytes. Freeze drying suffers from a similar limitation, in that removal of water must inevitably redistribute electrolytes which move to the remaining structures such as cellular membranes.
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MORETON, R., ECHLIN, P., GUPTA, B. et al. Preparation of Frozen Hydrated Tissue Sections for X-ray Microanalysis in the Scannning Electron Microscope. Nature 247, 113–115 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247113a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247113a0
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