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From the living sample to the ultrastructure

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This side shows the preparation procedure to get a TEM image

The living sample



[Spinatplant]
The living sample gets harvested and small pieces are fixed (chemical or cryo) and embedded in plastic.

picture: Spinach plants in the climate chamber.




Light microscopy



[Semithinn section]
After the embedding semithin sections (1-5 µm) are getting observed for interesting features in the light microscope.

Figure: Semithin section of a spinach leaf in the light microscope.




Electron microscopy



[TEM-micrograph]
Ultrathin sections (50-90 nm) are made to investigate interesting features in the transmission electron microscope.

TEM micrograph: ultrathin section of a spinach cell (chloroplast).




[TEM-micrograph]
TEM-micrograph: thylakoid system in a chloroplast
(bar= 0.5 µm).




3D reconstruction



[3D Reconstruction]
Series of ultrathin sections are reconstructed to a 3D image by computer programs.

Figure: 3D rekonstruction of a thylakoid system. The stars are matching with the stars on the TEM micrograph above.

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