Authors:

Sarah Grev

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful tool that provides detailed insight into objects invisible to the human eye. As the name suggests, an electron beam is used to create an image down to the nanometer scale. The beam focuses on the surface of a sample using lenses in the electron column. In this project, SEM is used to study three types of tissue. First, the glomerulus, found in the kidney and primarily responsible for filtering blood, is examined. After an induced left renal vein (LRV) stenosis, SEM was used to observe changes to the glomeruli. Differences in the left and right kidney glomeruli were noted, with right glomeruli appearing intact, while left glomeruli were broken down. These findings are vital for preeclampsia studies, where these glomerular changes are likely a result of renal ischemia induced by the LRV stenosis. Second, cross sections of the descending aorta with a type B aortic dissection are examined under SEM. High magnification images of these cross-sections reveal the morphology of red blood cell types in the false lumen. These findings will be used for future studies in evaluating medical interventions for aortic dissection. Third, tissue from the left ventricle and atrium of the heart is examined. SEM will detect if hypertrophy caused by thoracic aortic constriction causes changes to cells lining the endocardium. This project demonstrates that SEM provides high resolution and magnification images unseen by other imaging modalities, revealing new information that is pivotal to current and future studies.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Sarah Grev