La apariencia óptica de las células y los tejidos patológicos desentrañada a través del microscopio electrónico

The electron microscope provides detailed information on cell and tissue structure, as well as on their functional modifications under physiologic and pathologic conditions. All these findings have a direct translation into how these same cells look under the light microscope. In the present article, the main light microscopic features of the cell cytoplasm, the nucleus, and the extracellular matrix are reviewed, in the context of the underlying ultrastructural changes. Acquaintance with this ultrastructural background may prove extremely helpful to withdraw more abundant and more precise information from conventional light microscopy.