ABSTRACT
High-resolution electro-optical techniques permit quantitative evaluation of intact, living organs at the cellular levels in situ. Responses to pharmacodynamics substances, physiologic stimuli, and pathological conditions can be evaluated in a quantitative manner, as can biological processes such as transvascular exchange of solutes, cellular secretory phenomena, endocytotic mechanisms, and cellular injury. Many of the techniques developed for investigations in the cell biology of isolated cells are adaptable for in vivo microscopic studies of such cells in intact organs where their normal microenvironment is preserved.
