Multiple microscopy modalities applied to a sea urchin tooth fragment.
Two synchrotron X-ray microscopy methods, phase-contrast microradiography (the propagation method) and absorption microCT (high-resolution computed tomography or microtomography), and laser-scanning confocal microscopy (visible wavelength) were used to study a fragment of the keel of a tooth of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. Stripes observed in the phase-contrast images of the fragment were also seen in confocal micrographs. MicroCT showed that the stripes were due to two parallel planar arrays of low-absorption channels within the bulk of the keel. In the phase microradiographs, maximum contrast stripes appear when a channel image from one row coincides with a channel image from the second row; otherwise, contrast is minimal. Long channels do not appear to have been observed previously in keels of sea urchin teeth.
Stock
S R
SR
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanoscience in Advanced Medicine, Ward 13-130, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-3008, USA. s-stock@northwestern.edu
Ignatiev
K
K
Dahl
T
T
Barss
J
J
Fezzaa
K
K
Veis
A
A
Lee
W K
WK
De Carlo
F
F
D000818:Animals; D008852:Microradiography / Q000379:methods*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast / Q000379:methods*; D012617:Sea Urchins; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014070:Tooth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000648:ultrastructure