Transmission electron microscopy in cell biology: assessment of techniques and image information

Authors

  • Núria Cortadellas Unitat de Microscòpia Electrònica, Centres Científics i Tecnològics de la Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona
  • Mercè Durfort Departament de Biologia Ceŀlular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona

Keywords:

transmission electron microscopy, chemical fixation, cryofixation, new technologies, image information.

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy is a proven technique in the field of cell biology and a very useful tool in biomedical research. Of all the types of microscopy used to date, transmission electron microscopy is the one with the best resolution limit and therefore it is a very efficient technique for deciphering cell architecture and relating it to function. Innovation and improvements in equipment together with the introduction of new technology have allowed us to improve our knowledge of biological tissues, to visualize structures better, and to identify and locate molecules. In this paper, processes and concepts are defined, and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique are assessed, describing the image and information that can be obtained with each one.

Keywords: transmission electron microscopy, chemical fixation, cryofixation, new technologies, image information.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 66 (2015)

Section

Destacats de recerca

License

The intellectual property of the articles belongs to the respective authors.

At the time of submitting the articles to Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Biologia, authors accept the following terms:

— Authors assign to the SCB (a subsidiary of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans) the rights of reproduction, public communication (including communication through social networks) and distribution of the articles submitted for publication to Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Biologia, in any form and medium, including digital platforms. The Publications Committee reserves the right to accept or refuse submitted articles and the right to make any editorial changes it deems appropriate. If the suggested changes are accepted by authors, they should re-submit the article with such changes.

—  Authors answer to the SCB for the authorship and originality of submitted articles. In other words, authors assure that submitted articles do not contain fragments of works by other authors or fragments of their own previously published works; that the content of articles is original, and that the copyright of third parties is not infringed upon. Authors accept this responsibility and undertake to hold harmless the SCB for any loss or damage resulting from non-compliance with this obligation. Furthermore, they should include a statement in articles submitted to the journal regarding their responsibility for the content of the articles.

— Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the reproduction of all graphic material included in articles, and they should moreover ensure that images, videos, etc., have been created with the consent of the individuals appearing in them, and that material belonging to third parties is clearly identified and acknowledged as such within the text. Likewise, authors should provide the respective consents and authorisations to the SCB when submitting articles.

— The SCB is exempt from any liability arising from the possible infringement of intellectual property rights by authors. In all cases, it undertakes to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies, if necessary.

— Unless otherwise stated in the text or in the graphic material, the contents published in the journal are subject to an Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs 3.0 Spain (by-nc-nd) license from Creative Commons, the full text of which may be consulted at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/deed.en. Therefore, the general public is authorised to reproduce, distribute and communicate articles as long as their authorship and publishing entity are acknowledged, and no commercial use is made of them nor derivative work produced from them.

— The journal is not responsible for the ideas and opinions expressed by the authors of published articles.