Stereo high-voltage electron microscopy of whole cells of the human diploid line, WI-38

The human diploid cell line, WI-38, has proven to be an especially good object for high-voltage electron microscopy using whole cells. Cells of intermediate passages were grown on plastic-coated, carbon-shadowed gold grids, fixed with glutaraldehyde, post-fixed with osmium tetroxide, stained with uranyl salts and critical-point dried. The absence of an embedding matrix produces images of increased contrast and resolution. The approach combined with stereo-microscopy has extended our knowledge of cellular ultrastructure. Stereo-images of whole cells reveal nuclei, mitochondria, microtubules, microfilaments, the endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes in their expected forms. At high magnifications a continuity of microtubules, microfilaments and membranous elements with thin (3-6 nm) strands of the ground substance has been observed. These strands form a three-dimensional lattice or mesh that pervades all parts of the cytoplasm. The entire structure is referred to as a microtrabecular lattice or mesh, the strands being the trabeculae. The inclusion of microtubules, microfilaments, ribosomes and vesicles of the endoplasmic reticulum within the material of the lattice makes them all part of a totally organized cytoplast.