X-ray microanalytical surveys of minor element concentrations in unsectioned biological samples

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Abstract

Approximate concentration maps of small unsectioned biological samples are made using the pixel by pixel ratio of PIXE images to areal density images. Areal density images are derived from scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) proton energy-loss images. Corrections for X-ray production cross section variations, X-ray attenuation, and depth averaging are approximated or ignored. Estimates of the magnitude of the resulting error are made. Approximate calcium concentrations within the head of a fruit fly are reported. Concentrations in the retinula cell region of the eye average about 1 mg/g dry weight. Concentrations of zinc in the mandible of several ant species average about 40 mg/g. Zinc concentrations in the stomachs of these ants are at least 1 mg/g.

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Cited by (19)

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    All of these microscopy techniques are typically performed before element localisation analyses, and usually they cannot be performed on exactly the same tissue of interest. Scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) has been used in combination with micro-PIXE to visualise the morphology of biological matrices, which is based on the distribution of energy loss in a tissue [22,23]. In comparison to transmission electron microscopy, the penetration of ions (protons) is a lot greater, and thus the samples can be a lot thicker (i.e. up to ca. 100 μm for 3 MeV protons).

  • Limits of detection for PIXE analysis using proton microbeam

    1995, Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B
  • STIM with energy loss contrast: an imaging modality unique to MeV ions

    1991, Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B
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Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY 86-9959.

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