Observation of hydrated muscle by the use of side-entry environmental cell

Abstract

In our laboratory, the wet cell microscopy has been developed to observe hydrated materials by using film sealed environmental cell (hydration chamber; abbreviated as EC). We have also reported results of dynamic observations of hydrated biological or non-biological materials such as the biological reaction process of muscle fiber, the chemical reaction process of photographic silver halide crystals and so on. In this study, to prevent completely the evaporation of solvent in the process of setting of sample and the observation, the spacer composing the EC was improved to have the injection function of two solutions (as seen in figure 1) in addition to the water vapour saturated gas circulation system used previously. Such a new injection method may be very useful for the drying sensitive specimen as well as for the action of two solutions.As far as one observes the specimen with electron microscope, the radiation damage of specimen may be inevitable. To reduce such a damage, some devices are especially necessary in the EC. Before observing “living” biological specimen, however, one must know the critical dosage at which the biological function is lost. In order to estimate the critical value, we performed one experiment by utilizing the function of muscle contraction. Since we can easily judge whether or not “the muscle is living” by observing the contraction phenomen a which cause very dramatic structure change, the muscle fiber is thought to be a very suitable sample for our aim.