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CHAPTER 2 - EPITHELIUM
Histology Guide
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MICROGRAPH

NAME
EM 303 Microvilli
TISSUE
Small Intestine
Intestinal Absorptive Cell
(Enterocyte)
IMAGE SIZE
5,451 x 10,386 pixels
162 MB
FILE SIZES
31,860 KB (grayscale)
32,255 KB (color)
MAGNIFICATION
97,000x
PIXEL SIZE
0.2293 nm
SOURCE
John E. Heuser
Department of Cell Biology & Physiology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO

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EM 303 Microvilli

Microvilli

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of microvilli on intestinal epithelial cells.

This specimen was prepared using a technique known as deep etching. Etching removes ice from the surface of the frozen section by exposing it to a vacuum, revealing deeper structures previously hidden by the ice.

Microvilli are stabilized by the network of fibers (terminal web) in the apical cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells.

  • (green) - (red) attach it to the core of actin filaments
    • Many proteins are tightly packed in the plasma membrane
  • (brown) - bundle of actin filaments forms the core of each microvillus
    • Rootlet - extends into the apical cytoplasm
  • (yellow) - form a network of filaments that link the rootlets to the plasma membrane
  • (orange) - intermediate filaments that anchor the rootlets to the cytoskeleton

Courtesy of John E. Heuser, Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

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