The Cell: An Image Library

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CIL:130^*

Description

The contractile vacuole pore is coated on its cytosolic side by helically wound microtubules. Other microtubules abut this helix and extend out to the surface of the contractile vacuole where they are attached to the CV membrane and hold the contractile vacuole in place. The plasma membrane and CV membrane are separated only by a narrow gap at the bottom of the pore. TEM taken on 2/11/71 by R. Allen with Hitachi HU11A operating at 60kV. Neg. 19,500X. Bar = 0.2µm. There is a high resolution version of this image in the library (CIL:39793) which is available for quantitative analysis. Additional information available at (http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/allen/).

Technical Details

Standard glutaraldehyde fixation followed by osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in alcohol and embedded in an epoxy resin. Microtome sections prepared at approximately 75nm thickness. Additional information available at (http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/allen/).

Biological Sources

NCBI Organism Classification: Tetrahymena pyriformis; (Protozoans)
Cell Type: cell by organism; eukaryotic cell; Eukaryotic Protist; Ciliated Protist
Cellular Component: contractile vacuole; contractile vacuole pore; contractile vacuolar membrane; cell cortex; microtubule associated complex

Biological Context

Biological Process: contractile vacuole organization

Attribution

Name: Richard Allen (University of Hawaii)
Link: http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/allen/

Grouping

This image is part of a group.

Imaging

Image Type: transmission electron microscopy (TEM); illumination by electrons
Imaging Mode: detection of electrons; film
Parameters Imaged: electron density
Source of Contrast: stain with broad specificity
Visualization Methods: stain with broad specificity; osmium tetroxide; uranyl salt; lead salt
Processing History: recorded image; film; Print from negative scanned for Photoshop.

Data Qualifiers: processed data

Sample Preparation

Methods: glutaraldehyde fixed tissue; osmium tetroxide fixed tissue; tissue in epoxy resin embedment; microtome-sectioned tissue
Relation To Intact Cell: microtome-sectioned tissue

Dimensions

Spatial Axis	Image Size	Pixel Size
X	3213px	——
Y	3198px	——

*CIL – Cell Image Library accession number. Please use this to reference an image.