Long description

This electron micrograph shows collagen fibrils that have been sectioned along their long axis and therefore appear as linear strands orientated in the same direction. Also shown is a bundle of fibrils that have been sectioned transversely (at right-angles to their long axis). Here the fibrils have the appearance of closely spaced dark spots of uniform size. The bundle of fibrils is approximately 3 micrometres by 1 micrometre, and each fibril is estimated to be about 30 nanometres in diameter. Adjacent to and partly surrounding the fibril bundle is a fibroblast cell, which measures about 4 micrometres by 1.5 micrometres. The nucleus is darkly staining near its perimeter and the nucleolus appears as a large pale area in the centre.