Computer graphics for cellular reconstruction

The use of computer graphics to study the three-dimensional structure of tissues within an organism such as a human is considered. A system called Sterecon, which uses stereo views of thick sections of tissues and a high-voltage electron microscope, is described. Contours of structures are traced in stereo and entered into a graphics database. Using thick sections decreases the work by ten- to twenty-fold. The database can be manipulated to display cellular organization using various graphics representations.<>