Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025

A Method for Obtaining Serial Ultrathin Sections of Microorganisms in Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: January 17, 2018
Processing hair follicles for transmission electron microscopy
Sailakshmi Velamoor1,2, Allan Mitchell3, Mihnea Bostina2,3
1Proteins and Metabolites, AgResearch Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand.
Abstract:
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has greatly advanced our knowledge of hair growth and follicle morphogenesis, but complex preparations such as fixation, dehydration and embedding compromise ultrastructure. While recent developments with cryofixation have been shown to preserve the ultrastructure of biological materials close to native state, they do have limitations. This review will focus on each stage of the TEM sample preparation process and their effects on the structural integrity of follicles.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy
Transmission 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...
Overview of Electron Microscopy

