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Having been available for 70 years, it seems reasonable to ask what transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) can add to the investigation of the nervous
system in the new millennium. Today, the basic synaptic organization of
most brain regions is known, as is the morphological detail of most neurons
and support cells. Chapters in previous volumes of this series have addressed
the applications of TEM for studies of brain/neuronal structure, patterns of
degeneration, and identification of synaptic connectivity using tract-tracing,
immunocytochemistry, and electrophysiological cell filling (Heimer and
Robards, 1981; Heimer and Zaborszky, 1989). In the chapter byWouterlood
of the current volume, a sophisticated technique for using confocal microscopy
to define synaptic contacts is described, raising further questions
about how long TEM will endure as a staple approach for neuroscience investigation.
Is it the case that TEM will increasingly become a legacy method
used only by aesthete scholars eager to have quality photomicrographic evidence
at the highest magnifications possible?
The first two editions of this title had a tremendous impact in neuroscience. Between the Second edition in 1989 and today, there has been an explosion of information in the field, including advances in molecular techniques, such as genomics and proteomics, which have become increasing important in neuroscience. A renaissance in fluorescence has occurred, driven by the development of new probes, new microscopes, live imagers, and computer processing. The introduction of new markers has enormously stimulated the field, moving it from tissue culture to neurophysiology to functional MRI techniques. |
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