Computational Morphology: Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics for Electron Microscopy

This paper describes a method for the computer reconstruction of surfaces from a sequence of electron micrographs, and a data structuring approach to the problem of representing and analyzing objects of physiological importance. The reconstruction technique involves the following stages: 1) object outlines are traced from each section, 2) the computer chain encodes these outlines, 3) the chain codes are reduced to the minimum number of boundary points which satisfactorily define the boundary, 4) polygons are mapped onto the boundary points between sections to approximate the surface, and 4) color coded, shaded surface views are computed of any subset of objects viewed and illuminated from arbitrary locations.