Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis

In the past, the principal techniques of choice for analyzing tissue for various inorganic atomic species have been colometric and via atomic absorption spectrophotometry (1 ). Although both methods can be accurate and precise when performed in the same laboratory, there are disadvantages, which include interlaboratory variability in results owing to sample preparation and instrumentation, and the need for relatively large amounts of tissue to be analyzed. As a result, one is unaware of exactly what structure or cell type in the sample is the source of ions. An alternative technique is the use of energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), which allows multi-element analysis at the subcellular level.