Electron Microscopy of Plant Cells serves as manual or reference of major modern techniques used to prepare plant material for transmission and scanning electron microscopy. There have been other books that generally discuss electron microscope methodology. This book focuses on problem areas encountered through the presence of tough cell walls and large central vacuole. It details preparative techniques for botanical specimens. Each of the nine chapters of this book covers the basic principles, useful applications, and reliable procedures used on the method of electron microscopy. Other topics discussed in each chapter include the general preparation and straining of thin sections, quantitative morphological analysis, and enzyme cytochemistry. This book also explains the immunogold labelling, rapid-freezing methods, and ambient- and low-temperature scanning electron microscopy among others. This book will be invaluable to general scientists, biologists, botanists, and students specializing in plant anatomy.

General preparation and staining of thin sections / J.C. Roland and B. Vian -- Stereo-electron microscopy / Chis Hawes -- Quantitative morphological analysis / Martin W. Steer -- Enzyme cytochemistry / R. Sexton and J.L. Hall -- Immunogold labelling / Kathryn A. VandenBosch -- In situ hybridization techniques: molecular cytology goes ultrastructural / G.I. McFadden -- Rapid-freezing methods and their application / A.W. Robards -- Ambient- and low-temperature scanning electron microscopy / Christopher E. Jeffree and Nick D. Read -- Microanalysis / R.F.M. Van Steveninck and M.E. Van Steveninck.

This manual provides all relevant protocols for basic and applied plant cell and molecular technologies, such as histology, electron microscopy, cytology, virus diagnosis, gene transfer and PCR. Also included are chapters on laboratory facilities, operation and management as well as a glossary and all the information needed to set up and carry out any of the procedures without having to use other resource books. It is especially designed for professionals and advanced students who wish to acquire practical skills and first-hand experience in plant biotechnology.

Hands-on experimentalists describe the cutting-edge microscopical methods needed for the effective study of plant cell biology today. These powerful techniques, all described in great detail to ensure successful experimental results, range from light microscope cytochemistry, autoradiography, and immunocytochemistry, to recent developments in fluorescence, confocal, and dark-field microscopies. Important advances in both conventional and scanning electron microscopies are also fully developed, together with such state-of-the-art ancillary techniques as high-resolution autoradiography, immunoelectron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and electron systems imaging. Easy-to-use and up-to-date, Methods in Plant Electron Microscopy and Cytochemistry offers today's plant scientists a first class collection of readily reproducible light and electron microscopical methods that will prove the new standard for all working in the field.

Plants, fungi, and viruses were among the first biological objects studied with an electron microscope. One of the two first instruments built by Siemens was used by Helmut Ruska, a brother of Ernst Ruska, the pioneer in constructing electron microscopes. H. Ruska published numerous papers on different biological objects in 1939. In one of these, the pictures by G. A. Kausche, E. Pfankuch, and H. Ruska of tobacco mosaic virus opened a new age in microscopy. The main problem was then as it still is today, to obtain an appropriate preparation of the specimen for observation in the electron microscope. Beam damage and specimen thickness were the first obstacles to be met. L. Marton in Brussels not only built his own instrument, but also made considerable progress in specimen preparation by introducing the impregnation of samples with heavy metals to obtain useful contrast. His pictures of the bird nest orchid root impregnated with osmium were revolutionary when published in 1934. It is not the place here to recall the different techniques which were developed in the subsequent years to attain the modern knowledge on the fine structure of plant cells and of different plant pathogens. The tremendous progress obtained with tobacco mosaic virus is reflected in the chapter by M. Wurtz on the fine structure of viruses in this Volume. New cytochemical and immunological techniques considerably surpass the morphological information obtained from the pathogens, especially at the host-parasite interface.

A guide to modern scanning electron microscopy instrumentation, methodology and techniques, highlighting novel applications to cell and molecular biology.