Frozen thin-sections of rapidly forming bone: bone cell ultrastructure

Frozen thin-sections of fresh medullary bone, which had been calcifying for 2 to 4 days, were prepared and examined in the electron microscope. The bone was obtained from male Japanese quail treated with estradiol valerate. Large numbers of 200-800 A electron dense granules, which consisted of 50-75 A subparticles, were seen within mitochondria. A population of electron-dense particles slightly smaller than ribosomes was also observed. Most granules were not present after conventional fixation, dehydration, embedding, sectioning and staining. Oother structures which were visible, also on the basis of their intrinsic electron density, were nuclei with regions which resembled condensed chromatin, ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. By the use of osmium tetroxide vapor staining, inner and outer membranes and cristae of mitochondria were delineated. Other membranous components were not detected. Since very little loss or dislocation of cell components can occur during the preparation of frozen thin-sections, the micrographs obtained may be a more accurate representation of cell ultrastructure.