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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography
Published on: March 12, 2017
Conventional specimen preparation techniques for transmission electron microscopy of cultured cells
1IMAGE Center, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
Abstract:
This chapter covers the conventional methods and considerations for preparing cultured cells for examination in the transmission electron microscope. Techniques for handling cells grown in liquid culture, as well as on substrates such as culture dishes or agar, are discussed. Directions are given on how to prepare the most commonly used buffers, fixatives, enrobement media, and embedding resins. These methods may be applied to most cultured organisms, from bacteria to mammalian cells.
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Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy
Fixation and Sectioning
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...