This image shows a single cell called a fibroblast. This type of cell is involved in wound healing. Fibroblasts contain flexible filaments made of vimentin, a protein which helps cells change shape and move.
Researchers study these filaments and their movement to understand how they work in our cells. The
microscopic filaments inside the cell are revealed by staining them with fluorescent dye. This dye glows when exposed to laser light. Then a picture is taken with a special microscope. In this image, thick bundles of
filaments appear in bright yellow, while individual filaments at the edge of the cell appear in violet.
Jennifer Davis
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Structured Illumination Microscope + colored in ImageJ
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