Modern physical methods for analysing elements and structures in histochemistry

Chemical analysis supported to a greater and greater degree by physical principles and measurement techniques offers some advantages for application in biomedical research and is able to complete histochemical procedures in elemental analysis. The described methods, such as electron-probe X-ray microanalysis, Auger electron spectrometry, cathodoluminescence analysis, electron diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry, electron spectrometry for chemical analysis, laser microprobes based on emission spectrometry, mass spectrometry and luminescence spectrometry yield qualitative and quantitative information about the inorganic (and organic) constituents and their distributions of subcellular microvolumes of biological tissues. Information content, figure of merit, applications, and limitations of these methods, and the special preparation techniques of biological materials are discussed.