The Influence of Specimen Preparation on Artefacts in Scanning Electron Microscopy of Respiratory Cilia

Abstract

The effects of various handling procedures used in preparing specimens of human and pig respiratory mucosa for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were studied. Using five different washing methods, the percentage area of mucosa covered with extracellular material varied from 1.5 to 53.1%. The best results were achieved when specimens were washed by gently inverting a sample 30 times in a container filled with physiological saline. Fixation and drying of the surface layer caused disorientation of cilia and made examination difficult. Mechanical damage caused loss of cilia and rupture of the cell membrane. For SEM of respiratory cilia it is important to wash the specimen in saline before fixation and to use biopsy forceps as little as possible.

Key Words:

• scanning electron microscopy
• respiratory mucosa
• cilia
• ultrastructure
• artefacts
• specimen handling