The effects of salines and fixatives upon the size of an identified neuron.
Because accurate neuronal dimensions are essential for mathematical modeling of neuronal properties, the effects of a number of salines and fixative procedures on neuronal size were compared, including the non-chemical, freeze substitution method. Using an identified neuron we compared diameters and found some of the fixative-saline combinations caused shrinkage by as much as a factor of four from our best estimates of the in vivo size from the quick frozen preparations. A glutaraldehyde based fixation procedure was found which gives results in good agreement with the frozen tissue.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives; D005724:Ganglia / Q000166:cytology*; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride
D005404:Fixatives; D012965:Sodium Chloride