Ultrastructural imaging of freeze-fractured plant cells in the scanning electron microscope.
The application of the freeze-fracture and cytoplasmic maceration technique in ultrastructural studies of plant cells is described. A major advantage of the technique is, that by extracting mobile cytoplasmic components from the freeze-fractured cells, surface relief is introduced and three-dimensional information is obtainable. The details of specimen preparation are described and the results obtained are reviewed. The use of chitosan embedding for very small or fragile specimens is described.
Barnes
S H
SH
Natural History Museum, London, England.
D005614:Freeze Fracturing / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010944:Plants / Q000648:ultrastructure*