A correlative transmission and scanning electron microscopic study of the pigeon myocardial cell

A comparative study of the pigeon ventricular myocardial cell has been performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three-dimensional access to the cell interior was obtained by cryo-fracturing paraffin-embedded tissue immersed in liquid nitrogen. The TEM studies revealed parallelly arranged myofibils separated by rows of mitochondria. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is represented by a well-developed network of tubules which, at the Z- and H-band level of the sarcomere, expands to form belt-like cisternae. The cisternae at the Z-band level lie in close proximity to both myofilaments and mitochondria. Transverse tubules are absent and thus only peripheral couplings are present. SEM observations of the fractured tissue revealed the spatial relationship between the different cell organelles, the most important of these being the parallel myofibrils and the mitochondria. The conspicuous ridges transversing the myofibril at the Z-band level consist mainly of expanded Z-bands, but overlying SR-tubules also contribute to these ridges. Traces of the SR can sometimes be seen covering the myofibrils. The close proximity between the SR and the mitochondria was also confirmed in the SEM. Preparation and examination of SEM prepared tissue in the TEM confirmed that no essential damage or reorganization of cell organelles had taken place during tHE SEM procedure. On the other hand some shrinkage of the tissue, which was probably caused by critical point drying, was noticed.