Macrophotography of Thick Sections and Gels with A Regular Photographic Enlarger

Abstract

At present, we have a program at Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center for the gross mapping of histochemical localization of various enzymes in the squirrel monkey brain and spinal cord, to characterize various regions. For these studies, sections about 50 μ thick must be used. The preparations measure from 4 × 5 mm in transverse sections of spinal cord to 20 × 40 mm in sagittal sections of cerebral hemispheres. Because of their dimensions, an ordinary camera attached to a microscope or even a plate camera could not be used satisfactorily for photographing them. However, projection with a darkroom enlarger has given very satisfactory pictures.