Collagen: image processing and quantitative ultrastructural studies

✍ Scribed by M Tzaphlidou

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 15 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0968-4328
• DOI: 10.1016/s0968-4328(00)00031-7

✦ Synopsis

This issue of Micron is devoted entirely to collagen, one of the most important components of connective tissues.

Recent years have witnessed dramatic advances in the capabilities of microscopes to analyse the biological matter on the atomic scale. The discovery of the atomic force microscope in the mid-1980s brought tremendous enthusiasm to microscopists. Today, after the initial excitement has waned, obstacles to overcome artefacts the so-called "convolution effects" remain. At the same time, TEM instrumentation has developed remarkably. Quantitative analyses to obtain structural information of a sample on a multi-scale level have become routine practice.

The issue demonstrates the tremendous advantage of using electron microscopy in structural studies and illustrates the progress made in understanding the relationship between collagen structure and properties. It is my hope that these articles will lead to progress in understanding and treating some of the most troublesome, painful disorders that afflict mankind.

I sincerely thank all the authors for their contribution to this special issue.