title: Synchrotron X-ray microscopic computed tomography of the pump system of a female mosquito.
abstract: The pumping organ of blood-sucking female mosquitoes has a three-dimensional (3D) structure. However, conventional two-dimensional imaging methods are insufficient for visualizing the 3D structure in detail. Furthermore, their 3D imaging tasks are highly time consuming and sample preparation process requires elaborate skill. Among 3D imaging techniques, synchrotron X-ray microscopic computed tomography (SR-μCT) is especially suitable for small insects with opaque cuticles, such as mosquitoes. In this study, the 3D morphological structure of the pump system of a female mosquito was visualized using SR-μCT. Expandable volume capacities of two pump chambers were measured for several mosquito samples of similar size. To verify the cross-sectional images acquired by SR-μCT, complementary paraffin-sectioning data were compared.
authors.affiliation: School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Hyoja-dong, Pohang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bo Heum
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Seok
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Jae Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sang Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed