RAPID PRIMARY MICROWAVE-GLUTARALDEHYDE FIXATION PRESERVES THE PLASMA-MEMBRANE AND INTRACELLULAR STRUCTURES OF THE PROTOZOAN TRITRICHOMONAS-FETUS

Tritrichomonas foetus, a pathogenic protozoan, was used as a model to analyse microwave-stimulated fixation as a procedure of preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy of thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas. Good preservation of the protozoan structure was achieved by microwave-stimulated fixation and Epon polymerization. The membrane structure, as visualized in freeze-fracture replicas, was well preserved.