Ultrastructure of guinea pig stria vascularis processed by rapid freezing and freeze substitution.

The rapid-freezing and freeze-substitution method fixes a specimen as if it were prepared before excision. We used this method to study the stria vascularis of guinea pigs using electron microscopy. Findings were essentially the same as those obtained with conventional chemical fixation, although freeze substitution made it possible to observe the membrane structures in a smoother and more linear manner. This method seems to be the procedure of choice for studying the instantaneous movement and behavior of cells.