Rat Colon Tissue
Presented above is a three-dimensional reconstruction of a rat colon tissue section that was stained with Alexa Fluor 350 (wheat germ agglutinin; highlighting lectins), Alexa Fluor 568 (phalloidin; labeling actin filaments), and SYTOX Green (nuclei). The colon is the final part of the digestive system in most vertebrates. It functions to absorb water, potassium, and several fat soluble vitamins. In a rat distal colon, neutral sodium-chloride absorption accounts for the major fraction of overall sodium absorption, and the hormone aldosterone stimulates electrogenic, amiloride-sensitive sodium absorption.