title: [Electron microscope observations on the microfibrillar arrangement of collagen fibers in the tail tendon of the rat].
abstract: We have examined the rat tail tendon microfibrillar arrangement by electron microscopy and freeze-etching technique. Collagen fibers have been examined in unstretched and stretched conditions. Our data indicate the freeze-etching technique as a particularly useful to interpretate the microfibrillar arrangement. We are able to observe that the microfibrils are arranged in straight lines along the axis of the fibrils. The most suitable condition for the interpretation of this datum is obtainable when: 1) the fibers are stretched and therefore the crimping are reduced; 2) the fracture movement follows a direction parallel to the bulk fiber axis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013623:Tail; D013710:Tendons / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen
vernacular_title: Osservazioni al microscopio elettronico sull'arrangiamento microfibrillare delle fibre collagene del tendine della coda di ratto.