Scanning electron microscopy of human and rhesus monkey kidneys.

Human kidney biopsies fixed by immersion fixation and a rhesus monkey kidney fixed by vascular perfusion were critical point-dried and studied by scanning electron microscopy. The surface morphologies of the parietal and visceral epithelial cells and cells lining the uriniferous tubules are described. Many instructive views of these cells as well as some new nephronal features are presented. This study demonstrated that both scanning and transmission electron microscopy may be undertaken on the same biopsy sample. In view of these results, the possibility of using scanning electron microscopy for routine diagnosis of human biopsies is discussed.