Some Observations on Current Biomedical Research in Clinical Gerontology

Biomedical applications of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) have increased in number quite rapidly over the last several years. Studies have been made of cells, whole mount tissue, sectioned tissue, particles, human chromosomes, microorganisms, dental enamel and skeletal material. Many of the advantages of using this instrument for such investigations come from its ability to produce images that are high in information content. Information about the chemical make-up of the specimen, its electrical properties and its three dimensional architecture all may be represented in such images. Since the biological system is distinctive in its chemistry and often spatially scaled to the resolving power of the SEM, these images are particularly useful in biomedical research.In any form of microscopy there are two parameters that together determine the usefulness of the image. One parameter is the size of the volume being studied or resolving power of the instrument and the other is the amount of information about this volume that is displayed in the image. Both parameters are important in describing the performance of a microscope. The light microscope image, for example, is rich in information content (chemical, spatial, living specimen, etc.) but is very limited in resolving power.

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Ultrastructure and analytical microprobe analysis of simian lung mite pigments

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100143249 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 324-325

Author(s):

R. W. Cole ◽

J. C. Kim

Keyword(s):

Biomedical Research ◽

Tissue Damage ◽

Microprobe Analysis ◽

Old World Monkeys ◽

Old World ◽

Experimental Animals ◽

The Past ◽

Lung Mite ◽

Mite Infestations ◽

Cardiopulmonary System

In recent years, non-human primates have become indispensable as experimental animals in many fields of biomedical research. Pharmaceutical and related industries alone use about 2000,000 primates a year. Respiratory mite infestations in lungs of old world monkeys are of particular concern because the resulting tissue damage can directly effect experimental results, especially in those studies involving the cardiopulmonary system. There has been increasing documentation of primate parasitology in the past twenty years.

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