Human osteosarcoma cells

Fluorescent micrograph showing human osteosarcoma cells grown in culture. Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer and occurs due to an error in the growth of osteoblast cells, the cells that are responsible for generating new bone tissue. In this image the contrast has been inverted and the microtubules are shown in black. Microtubules are an important component of the cell’s cytoskeleton, composed of a single type of protein, called tubulin, microtubules function to determine cell shape and are dynamic structures involved in a variety of cell movements. This image was taken using wide field fluorescent microscopy and created by stitching 24 individual images together.