Serial Block-face Microscopy
Serial Block-face Microscopy - Related Videos
07:47
Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy
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Cited by 29 •
2016
Mitochondrial visualization and analysis from mammalian brain tissue is a challenging task. Here, we describe how three dimensional (3D) reconstruction analysis from the serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) can be used to gain insights on the morphological and volumetric analysis of this critical energy generating organelle.
09:46
A Method for Obtaining Serial Ultrathin Sections of Microorganisms in Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Cited by 16 •
2018
This study presents reliable and easy procedures for obtaining serial ultrathin sections of a microorganism without expensive equipment in transmission electron microscopy.
02:08
Assessing Muscle Contraction with Neuromuscular Blocker Treatment
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2025
This video demonstrates assessing the muscle using cultured motor neurons, Schwann cells, and myotubes, followed by treatment with a neuromuscular blocker to inhibit contraction. Color-coded time-motion graphics show a color-coded time-motion graphic. Red indicates the fastest movement, and blue indicates the slowest.
01:03
Serial Position Effect
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2025
The serial position effect is a cognitive phenomenon where individuals are more likely to recall the first and last items in a list compared to those in the middle. This effect is divided into the primacy effect and the recency effect. The primacy effect is observed when the initial items in a list are remembered better. This occurs because these items are rehearsed more frequently or receive more elaborative processing, allowing them to be encoded into long-term memory more effectively. For...
10:53
Serial Dilutions and Plating: Microbial Enumeration
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2023
Source: Jonathan F. Blaize1, Elizabeth Suter1, and Christopher P. Corbo1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, 1 Campus Road, Staten Island NY, 10301 Quantitative assessment of prokaryotes can be onerous given their abundance, propensity for exponential proliferation, species diversity within a population, and specific physiological needs. Compounding this challenge, is the four-phase nature in which bacteria replicate (lag, log, stationary and death). The ability to accurately...
FAQs
The method builds three-dimensional information from a sequence of surface views rather than from a single image. After the electron beam records one exposed face, the integrated ultramicrotome removes a thin layer and reveals the next face. Repeating this cycle preserves the order of structures through depth, allowing the resulting images to represent a continuous tissue volume.
The integrated ultramicrotome controls the transition between successive imaging surfaces. It removes a thin layer after each electron-microscope scan, exposing new ultrastructure for the next image. This coordinated cutting and imaging sequence links observations from neighboring levels of the specimen, which is essential for following neurites, synapses, organelles, and other structures through the reconstructed volume.
Computational alignment places successive images into their correct spatial relationships before reconstruction. Without this step, structures appearing in adjacent tissue layers could be misregistered, making their continuity difficult to interpret. Once aligned, the dataset supports three-dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of cellular architecture, including the paths and relationships of fine neural structures.
A typical workflow begins with an embedded biological specimen positioned for electron microscopy. The beam scans the exposed tissue surface, the integrated ultramicrotome removes a thin layer, and the newly exposed surface is imaged again. After many cycles, computational alignment organizes the image series into a three-dimensional representation suitable for examining ultrastructure across the sampled volume.
Researchers can use Serial Block-face Microscopy when they need to trace fine neural structures across a volume rather than inspect isolated profiles. Its serial images support mapping neurons, neurites, and synapses, making it useful for connectomics and circuit reconstruction. The reconstructed architecture can reveal how cellular components are arranged and connected within brain tissue.
The datasets provide detailed structural measurements that can be compared with questions about neural function and disease. By mapping cellular architecture across brain tissue, investigators can examine how neurons, neurites, synapses, and organelles are organized in relevant regions. This creates a structural basis for quantitative studies linking microscopic anatomy with functional or disease-related changes.