Abstract
The three-dimensional structure of the odontoblastic organelle and the alignment of collagen fibers in predentin and dentin were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using pultaceous treatment (AODO method). The structure of the nuclear membrane and transitional images from granular endoplasmic reticulum (rER) to transport vesicles and clear surface of Golgi apparatus unobtainable with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were observed. Cross-sections of the rER system and tubular mitochondria revealed configurations similar to those usually described in TEM studies. There were a large number of ribosomes on the surface of the rER. A fibrous structure which maintained an appropriate distance between the various elements of the rER was also observed. The alignment of the dentin collagen fibers accorded with TEM images, but the alignment of the collagen fibers in predentin did not, with many fibers arranged horizontally.
