Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 7, 2025

Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography
Published on: March 12, 2017
Real-time scanning electron microscopy of unfixed tissue in the solution using a deformable and electron-transmissive
Seine A Shintani1, Seiji Yamaguchi1, Hiroaki Takadama1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi 487-8501, Japan.
Abstract:
It is difficult to use scanning electron microscopy to observe the structure and movement of biological tissue immersed in the solution. To enable such observations, we created a highly deformable and electron-transmissive polyimide film that can withstand the pressure difference between the high-vacuum electron column and the atmospheric-pressure sample chamber. With this film, we used scanning electron microscopy to measure the intrinsic fine structure and movement of the contractile fibers of excised mouse heart immersed in physiological solutions. Our measurements revealed that the excised heart is a dynamic tissue that undergoes relaxation oscillation based on a three-dimensional force balance.
Related Concept Videos
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Transmission Electron Microscopy
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy
Overview of Electron Microscopy
Overview of Microscopy Techniques

