Three-dimensional reconstruction of whole cells of Streptococcus faecalis from thin sections of cells

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Abstract
A new ultrastructural technique was developed to study the geometry of cell wall assembly in S. faecalis, which is believed to occur between pairs of raised bands located on the organism''s surface. Three-dimensional reconstructions of these new regions of envelope growth are produced from the mathematical rotation (around a central axis) of various measurements taken from central, longitudinal thin sections of cells. These reconstructions can be used to calculate the surface area and volume of the septal and peripheral walls that were supposedly present in any given cell before sectioning. The validity of the assumptions used to reconstruct cells by rotation and the possible sources of error in using this technique are discussed.