Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
Computed Tomography01:10

Computed Tomography

Tomography refers to imaging by sections. Computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses computers to analyze several cross-sectional X-rays to reveal minute details about structures in the body.
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
Positron Emission Tomography01:29

Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique involving radiopharmaceuticals — substances that emit short-lived radiation. Although the first PET scanner was introduced in 1961, it took 15 more years before radiopharmaceuticals were combined with the technique and revolutionized its potential.
One of the main requirements of a PET scan is a positron-emitting radioisotope, which is produced in a cyclotron and then attached to a substance used by the part of the body being...
Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology01:28

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Protocol for development, visualization, and quantification of mycobacterial biofilms on primary human airway epithelial cells.

STAR protocols·2025
Same author

Mycobacteria develop biofilms on airway epithelial cells and promote mucosal barrier disruption.

iScience·2024
Same author

A Cool Look at Positive-Strand RNA Virus Replication Organelles: New Insights from Cryo-Electron Microscopy.

Annual review of biochemistry·2024
Same author

CRB1 is required for recycling by RAB11A+ vesicles in human retinal organoids.

Stem cell reports·2023
Same author

Positive-strand RNA viruses-a Keystone Symposia report.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2023
Same author

A cryogenic, coincident fluorescence, electron, and ion beam microscope.

eLife·2022
Same journal

Editorial for special issue "When should mathematical models be used in biology".

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Conserved machinery, divergent functions: evolutionary plasticity of the STK36/ULK4 kinase complex in ciliogenesis and signaling.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Chemical biology tools for studying tissue development.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Tetrahymena as a model organism for cilia research.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Emerging Concepts in Cardiovascular Development and Regeneration.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Endothelial origin of hematopoietic stem cells: Insights from new technologies and unresolved questions.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

Electron tomography in life science.

Montserrat Bárcena1, Abraham J Koster

  • 1Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Section Electron Microscopy, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. m.barcena@lumc.nl

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|August 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electron tomography (ET) is a versatile 3D imaging technique for studying biological structures at the nanoscale. Advances are driving its growth and impact in cell biology, with future potential for automation and higher resolution.

More Related Videos

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography in Virology: 3D Imaging of High-pressure Frozen, Freeze-substituted Samples
09:17

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography in Virology: 3D Imaging of High-pressure Frozen, Freeze-substituted Samples

Published on: August 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography in Virology: 3D Imaging of High-pressure Frozen, Freeze-substituted Samples
09:17

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography in Virology: 3D Imaging of High-pressure Frozen, Freeze-substituted Samples

Published on: August 6, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Structural Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Electron tomography (ET) is a 3D imaging technique.
  • It offers nanometer resolution for studying pleomorphic biological structures.
  • ET is versatile for isolated specimens and cellular contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the versatility and growing impact of electron tomography.
  • To discuss the technological advances enabling ET's application.
  • To outline the future potential and developments in ET.

Main Methods:

  • Three-dimensional imaging
  • Nanometer-resolution analysis
  • Study of biological specimens in cellular context

Main Results:

  • ET allows exploration of diverse biological specimens.
  • The technique has seen exponential growth due to technological advances.
  • ET is significantly impacting the understanding of the cellular world.

Conclusions:

  • Electron tomography is a powerful tool with substantial unrealized potential.
  • Ongoing developments include automation, higher resolution, and labeling.
  • ET is poised to become a pivotal technique in structural and cell biology.