Muscle: 50 Years of Electron Microscopy

This project was initiated with the aim of preserving for the future  a portion of the extensive muscle ultrastructural  image archive  accumulated over a 50 year period by the author and her laboratory. Between the late 1950s and current times electron microscopy (EM) evolved. The early  EM revealed the ultrastructural identification and definition of cell organelles and  laid the foundation for cell biology.  This continues with he discovery of new structural organizations and organelles. Currently EM images provide the  essential basis for identification of structural changes  associated with mutational experiments and newly discovered pathology. The most recent development of techniques allowing near atomic level of resolution brings microscopy to modern times. This evolution has been greatly enriched by the rebirth of light microscopy, fueled by  dynamic views of events based on video techniques, by the availability of specific targeting of cell components and by confocal microscopy that allows 3-D structural reconstructs. Correlation between light and electron microscopy, when appropriately done, is highly revealing.The  images in this publication present descriptive and structure-function correlations covering the whole animal kingdom with some areas more extensively illustrated than others.  The first part classifies the  images based in their site of origin, the second part identifies functional correlations, the third part introduces results of mutational experiments, the fourth part covers aging and pathology examples, the fifth part is a guide to the techniques. The images are presented with a numerical identification correlated with a very succinct description. References are limited to the directly relevant published material from the author’s laboratory that are helpful in extending the limited legends and in assigning contributions.  With very few exceptions, references to the literature are not given.  The author asks for the forgiveness of the many friends, trainees, collaborators and competitors whose contributions and priorities are not recognized.  The work has been stimulated by interactions with teachers and advisors.  Keith R. Porter, father of the endoplasmic reticulum and sarcoplasmic reticulum instilled admiration for Nature’s work and was  always been a guiding light in the author’s work. Richard J. Podolsky and Andrew F. Huxley taught the importance of structural correlations. Past and present trainees and collaborators, whose names appear in the reference list, have added depth of understanding.In the case of skeletal muscle much necessary information is gained by using the muscle bible: “Myology”, A.G. Engel and C. Franzini-Armstrong, Eds. 3rd Edition, McGraw Hill, N.Y. 2004.