Zinc Sparks Image (IMAGE)

Northwestern University

Zinc Sparks Image

Caption

A combined imaging approach was used to identify and characterize zinc-enriched packages in the mouse egg. These include live-cell zinc label imaging (top left, green), a state-of-the-art electron microscope (top middle, blue), and high-energy X-ray imaging at the Advanced Photon Source (top right). With this combined data, researchers were able to determine that each zinc package contains ~1 million zinc atoms. Bottom images: Release of thousands of these packages results in the striking event called the zinc spark that is a hallmark of fertilization in mammals. In the images shown, bright fluorescent signal coming from the egg is a result of the release of groups of zinc-rich packages from the egg to form a zinc spark.

Credit

Northwestern University

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