Improvement of microanatomical research by combining corrosion casts with MicroCT and 3D reconstruction, exemplified in the circulatory organs of the woodlouse

A SkyScan-1072 high-resolution desktop microtomograph was used to visualize the 3D morphology of the circulatory system of Porcellio scaber (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Isopoda) at the micrometer level. Prior to MicroCT investigation, the circulatory system was injected with a fast-hardening resin, permitting a better contrast of the vascular structures that are normally hollow after fixation. Stacks of tomographic images were used to reconstruct the circulatory system three-dimensionally. The spatial resolution achieved by the microtomograph is about 3.5 mum. The technique provides detailed tomographic images of the inner organs and makes precise 3D reconstructions of the circulatory system in arthropods possible. The results were compared with conventional histological data. MicroCT permits a high number of specimens to be screened in a short time, which is essential for the improvement of modern morphological research in a cladistic framework. Histological techniques, however, are still essential for gathering information at the cellular level. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.