Abstract
THE surface of the red blood cell has been studied extensively by means of the electron microscope. This requires replica techniques or the preparation of haemoglobin-free “ghosts”; the interpretation of the resulting pictures has been a matter of individual opinion and, frequently, of controversy, because they are restricted by limitations of dimensional perspective. The scanning electron microscope provides a three-dimensional view of surface structure and it has been used for studying human blood cells1,2. Although this instrument provides much greater depth of focus than the transmission electron microscope, its view is still restricted to the superficial layers of the cell membrane. To be able to see the cell membrane beneath its surface and the internal structure of the cell beneath would be of great value.
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LEWIS, S., OSBORN, J. & STUART, P. Demonstration of an Internal Structure within the Red Blood Cell by Ion Etching and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Nature 220, 614–616 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/220614a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/220614a0
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