fixation

Fixation is to preserve the morphological structure of biological specimens such as cells and tissues extracted from living organisms, by keeping them close to their living states for scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation.
Since the organisms suffer degeneration due to autolysis after dying and due to dehydration or drying in the specimen preparation process, fixation is carried out by chemical treatment or freezing treatment so that the morphological structure of a biological specimen is preserved close to its living state and the specimen has substantial strength against electron-beam irradiation for SEM observation.