NEW METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF ULTRASTRUCTURAL SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF TECTORIAL EPITHELIUM OF THE TRACHEA MUCOSA

Abstract

The aim of the research is to find out a three-dimensional spatial organization of ciliated epithelium of intact rats trachea. It is demonstrated that solid electronic microscopy or scanning electronic microscopy with the application of focused ion beam is a perspective method of biological objects study. Layer-by-layer etching of transverse section of fixed and contrasted preparation of biological tissue by the focused ion beam with the further visualization of the structure with the detector of back-reflected electrons in the double-beam system FIB/SEM allows to restore a three-dimensional structure of the object out of a big range of electronically microscopic images of successive transverse sections. Obtained structural information allows to visualize a complex microanatomy of tissues at the subcellular level. As a result of these 3D-reconstructions the information about the topology of compartments of ciliated epithelial cells of rats trachea mucosa and spacious geometry of ultrastructures was obtained, intracellular structures were visualized, and a thin texture of submicroscopic details of trachea epithelium surface (cilia and microvilli) was reconstructed.