PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF MOIST ENVIRONMENT AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

A technique which allows scanning electron microscopy of untreated fresh biological specimens in a moist environment at ambient temperature, is described. It requires virtually no preparation of the specimens prior to insertion in the microscope. This technique, referred to as Moist Environment Ambient Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (MEAT SEM) is evaluated in relation to the conventional scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Results obtained on conidia of Aspergillus niger, tomato fruit cortical cells (Lycopersicon esculentum) and epidermal cells of perianth segments of Narcissus sp., suggest that MEAT SEM is a promising technique for obtaining good quality micrographs of biological tissues in conditions nearest to those in vivo. © 1979.