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Preparation of serial sections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2017

Michael R. Sandy
Michael R. Sandy*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469
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Extract

Serial sectioning (also referred to as serial grinding) is used to investigate the internal structures of three-dimensional (rock or fossil). In this process series of sections are ground or cut in sequence through a specimen to reveal its internal structures. The specimen is ground down against an abrasive surface (e.g., abrasive powder on a sheet of steel or a rotating diamond wheel on a lathe) or cut with a saw blade. The details of each section can be recorded by drawing or photography. A permanent record of each surface can be made by taking acetate peels and mounting them in glass slides (Wilson and Palmer, this volume, Chapter 13). Serial section information can be digitized and reconstructed in three-dimensions using computer techniques (Chapman, this volume, Chapter 15).

Type
Internal Anatomy and Microstructure
Information
The Paleontological Society Special Publications , Volume 4: Paleotechniques , 1989 , pp. 146 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 Paleontological Society 

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References

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