Nano-Scopic Observation of Biological Surfaces

Micro- and Nano-Scopic Observation of Biological Surfaces 

Some living organisms have developed specialized surface structure to reduce friction (such as sharkskin), while others (such as gecko) have distinct surfaces to attach themselves to a variety of substrates (see Chaps. 2 and 5 in this book for more details related to anti-friction and adhesive surfaces). The inner biological surfaces are those inside the living organism, such as joints of bones (lubrication or friction reduction), inner surface of an intestine (protection and absorption), or surfaces at cellular level, for example, surface of a fish egg, which has a unique structure and chemical components to attract sperm for fertilization (Fig. 1). 

The functions of the biological surfaces rely on their chemical components as well as their structure, often at micrometer and nanometer level. One prominent example is the so-called lotus-effect (see Chap. 3 in this book for detail). 

In the present chapter, we discuss the principles and techniques commonly used for observing biological surface structures, including optical microscopy (light microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy), electron microscopy (scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy), and scanning probe microscopy. We describe and contrast the sample preparation of each technique. Quantitative data analysis as well as the limitations of each technique is also addressed. 

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