Scanning electron microscopy

Copyright information: Taken from "Effects of Extracellular Matrix on the Morphology and Behaviour of Rabbit Auricular Chondrocytes in Culture"Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 2005;2005(4):364-373.Published online Jan 2005PMCID:PMC1361486.Vega Villar-Suarez et al (a) Subconfluent filtered cells showing a flattened fibroblast-like phenotype on plastic substratum, OM ×250 . (b) Hyaluronan addition: chondrocytes grow more three-dimensionally owing to less flattening. Cells are round, with short processes, and are separated by many intercellular spaces, OM ×330 . (c) Addition of sugar extract: cells became rounded with short cellular processes, forming a compact monolayer without intercellular spaces, OM ×350 . (d) Addition of large protein extract: note cell-rounding, OM ×250 . (e) Addition of small protein extract: cells form very small clusters with more intercellular spaces and the appearance of flattened cells, OM ×110 . (f) Addition of small protein extract: two different cell morphologies are observed, one of flattened cells (asterisk) and one of widely separated rounded or star-shaped cells with incipient three-dimensional growth (arrows), OM ×350 .