DIELECTRIC-PROPERTIES OF HISTOLOGICALLY PROCESSED TISSUES

Phenomena such as the elasticity and permeability of the cell membrane and molecular aggregation into liquid crystalline domains within cyto plasm are presently receiving more attention in the morphological stud y of biological systems. Dielectrics can elucidate these morphological specificities and this paper deals with methods, based on frequency a nd ramp voltage measurements, that are used to expose deviations in st ructural information from the sample's natural state when observed mic roscopically. We discuss the results from histologically processing ti ssue for fixation and staining purposes, with respect to the subsequen t variations in the tissue ion content through alterations in membrane permeability and elasticity and also cytoplasmic morphology.