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| Title | Houstonian, 1989 |
| Contributor (LCNAF) |
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| Date | 1989 |
| Description | This edition of the Houstonian, published by the students of the university in 1989, is the official yearbook of the University of Houston. |
| Subject.Topical (LCSH) |
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| Subject.Name (LCNAF) |
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| Subject.Geographic (TGN) |
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| Genre (AAT) |
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| Language | English |
| Type (DCMI) |
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| Original Item Location | LD2281.H745 H6 v. 55 1989 |
| Original Item URL | http://library.uh.edu/record=b1158762~S11 |
| Digital Collection | Houstonian Yearbook Collection |
| Digital Collection URL | http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/yearb |
| Repository | Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries |
| Repository URL | http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/campus-libraries-collections/special-collections |
| Use and Reproduction | In Copyright |
| File Name | index.cpd |
| Title | People |
| Format (IMT) |
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| File Name | yearb_1989_079.jpg |
| Transcript | is called microprobe analysis. Originally developed in the 1950's to determine the elemental content of rocks and metals, it is a powerful tool in biomedical study. In microprobe analysis, electron beams produced by an electron microscope generate high magnification computer images of cells and their cellular regions. These beams also help scientists to create color maps of elemental patterns in cells and determine the overall quantity and location of elements with a high degree of accuracy. Elements that constitute the various parts of the nerve cell can be identified by the electrons that orbit their nuclei. "When the beam from an electron microscope collides with these orbital electrons, x-rays of specific energy levels are emitted," LoPachin explains. "Because scientists already know what the characteristic x-ray energy level is for each element, individual elements can be identified and quantified." The electron microscope's beam must be moved point by point across the cell every four seconds to avoid structural damage. Because of the precise nature of the work involved, a computer is used to control the microscope's beam. The software program that makes these computer-generated pictures possible was designed by Robert Gey man, a research associate at the University of Texas Medical School(UT). Currently, only LoPachin and a few UT faculty members are using this software. Data from the electron microscope is then trans- mitteed to a high resolution color monitor. Because the resolution of a paper printout is not as sharp as a photographic print, LoPachin takes a photograph of the monitor's screen. The sharper the image, the clearer the understanding. Consequently, LoPachin uses a Hasselblad camera that produces an extremely detailed image. The end result: a color- coded chemical map of the elements that comprise a cellular region. According to LoPachin, we are just beginning to realize the importance of this cellular mapping process. "The use of computer- generated photography in scientific endeavors is a new and expanding field. It is very exciting to be on the forefront of a technology that improves the way we look at microscopic anatomy." LoPachin readily admits that his research is possible only through the shared expertise of Dr. Albert Saubermann, a professor in the UT Department of Anesthesiology. Saubermann has been performing microprobe analysis for over a decade and has perfected the process of producing elemental images. He is currently using microprobe analysis to determine the elemental relationship between two microscopic parts of the brain, glial cells and nu- erons. Saubermann believes that thorough analysis of this relationship is the key to understanding how anesthetics work. "Without microprobe analysis, elemental composition is determined only through careful statistical calculations," he says. "Although the margin for human error is small, it is still a signifacnt and distressing reality for the scientific community. As a result, we appreciate the advantages of an actual photographic image. With these microprobe images, we can make exact interpretations of an element's location and are able to see elments that were not previously visible." Microprobe analysis is currently performed with relative ease, but Saubermann recalls that it wasn't always this way. "One of the first hurdles we had to overcome was trying to prepare the sample tissue," he explains. "We chose to freeze the sample, which allows us to observe the molecules in their original wet environment without being affected by chemical fixatives or stains. Very often, the drying power of stains causes cell structures to collapse. This, in turn, can cause elements to move into cellular regions in which they are not normally found. Rapid freezing, on the other hand, maintains the distribution of elements in "'As we expand our understanding of the distribution of cellular elements, the possibility of designing drugs that can prevent or modify injury and disease could become a reality." Cell Photography ■ 89 |