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Abstract

Electron microscope autoradiography of insect nervous tissue prepared for ‘activity staining’ by the deoxyglucose method provides information on metabolic activity of small identifiable nerve fibers. Grain counts over two sets of axon profiles selected for high and low radioactivity, respectively, indicate that the dynamic range of the present method comprises about one order of magnitude. It is demonstrated that, although a small fraction of the radioactive label is lost during flotation of the thin sections on a water surface, the distribution of the remaining label is not appreciably altered and reflects stimulus-induced nervous activity.