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Aminoplastic standards for quantitative X-ray microanalysis of thin sections of plastic-embedded biological material
Abstract:
The preparation of a set of aminoplastic standards for quantitation of sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, and calcium in ultrathin plastic sections of soft tissue is described. The standards are low in cost and easy to prepare and handle. They cover concentrations up to 750 mmoles/kg dry weight, and display chemical and physical properties similar to those plastic-embedded samples. The standards can be used to convert peak-to-continuum ratios obtained from the specimen to elemental concentrations. An application of these standards is shown using rat exocrine pancreas as a model. The standards can also be used to advantage for the calibration of the detector efficiency.
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01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
01:03Fixation 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...