REFLECTING ON 3-DIMENSIONS – 7
How a cell is seen when sectioned at different levels.
Follow this sequence of drawings when thin sections are made at different levels of a cell.
All sections show parts of their cytoplasm, one section shows only the cytoplasm, another shows a nucleus without a nucleolus, then a nucleus with a nucleolus.
In the last drawing on the right, only a cap of the nucleus is present in the section, and under the microscope it is seen as a “faded” or out-of-focus nucleus.
This happens because the cells are usually cut randomly, at different levels of their bodies. The different levels of sectioning results in different images seen under a microscope.
Follow this sequence of drawings when thin sections are made at different levels of a cell.
All sections show parts of their cytoplasm, one section shows only the cytoplasm, another shows a nucleus without a nucleolus, then a nucleus with a nucleolus.
In the last drawing on the right, only a cap of the nucleus is present in the section, and under the microscope it is seen as a “faded” or out-of-focus nucleus.
This happens because the cells are usually cut randomly, at different levels of their bodies. The different levels of sectioning results in different images seen under a microscope.
Desktops and notebooks: Place the cursor over the figure to access another image.
Touchscreens: Click on the figure to access another image. Click outside of the figure to return to the first image.