Rapid freezing of neural tissues for electron microscopy: a specimen carrier for correlative electrophysiological studies.
The employment of rapid freezing of fresh tissue for electron microscopic studies of nervous tissue is receiving increasing attention. We report here on the design of a specimen carrier for use with freezing machines. This apparatus permits electrical stimulation and recording of responses closely comparable to those obtained in ordinary in vitro conditions. The essential features of this apparatus are that it employs miniature suction electrodes for stimulation and recording, a detachable well for mounting the specimen in Ringer's solution and a detachable cap for maintaining the specimen in a physiologic state suitable for freezing. This specimen carrier was designed for sympathetic ganglia but could be used with other types of neural tissue for correlative electrophysiological and morphological or biochemical studies.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005615:Freezing; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods*; D009445:Neuroanatomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009482:Neurophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011892:Rana catesbeiana / Q000502:physiology