Low Temperature Microscopy And Analysis

The frozen-hydrated specimen is the principal element that unifies the subject of low temperature microscopy, and frozen-hydrated specimens are what this book is all about. Freezing the sample as quickly as possible and then further preparing the specimen for microscopy or microanalysis, whether still embedded in ice or not: there seem to be as many variations on this theme as there are creative scientists with problems of structure and composition to investigate. Yet all share a body of com mon fact and theory upon which their work must be based. Low-Temperature Micros copy and Analysis provides, for the first time, a comprehensive treatment of all the elements to which one needs access. What is the appeal behind the use of frozen-hydrated specimens for biological electron microscopy, and why is it so important that such a book should now have been written? If one cannot observe dynamic events as they are in progress, rapid specimen freezing at least offers the possibility to trap structures, organelles, macro molecules, or ions and other solutes in a form that is identical to what the native structure was like at the moment of trapping. The pursuit of this ideal becomes all the more necessary in electron microscopy because of the enormous increase in resolution that is available with electron-optical instruments, compared to light optical microscopes.

This comprehensive reference illustrates optimal preparation methods in biological electron microscopy compared with common methodological problems. Not only will the basic methodologies of transmission electron microscopy like fixation, microtomy, and microscopy be presented, but the authors also endeavor to illustrate more specialized techniques such as negative staining, autoradiography, cytochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy, and computer-assisted image analysis. Authored by the key leaders in the biological electron microscopy field Illustrates both optimal and suboptimal or artifactual results in a variety of electron microscopy disciplines Introduces students on how to read and interpret electron micrographs

Electron Microscopy and Analysis 1997 celebrates the centenary anniversary of the discovery of the electron by J.J. Thomson in Cambridge and the fiftieth anniversary of this distinguished Institute group. The book includes papers on the early history of electron microscopy (from P. Hawkes), the development of the scanning electron microscope at Cambridge (from K. Smith), electron energy loss spectroscopy (from L.M. Brown), imaging methods (from J. Spence), and the future of electron microscopy (from C. Humphreys). Covering a wide range of applications of advanced techniques, it discusses electron imaging, electron energy-loss and x-ray analysis, and scanning probe and electron beam microscopies. This volume is a handy reference for professionals using microscopes in all areas of physics, materials science, metallurgy, and surface science to gain an overview of developments in our understanding of materials microstructure and of advances in microscope interrogation techniques.