Scanning electron microscopic examination of human asbestos bodies.

Asbestos bodies represent the product of the macrophage's attempt to detoxify inhaled asbestos fibers. The process of asbestos body maturation was examined by scanning electron microscopy of material isolated from lungs of former asbestos workers. The results suggest that the progression from a membrane-bound, smooth coating of the fiber, to the typically beaded form may be caused by cracking and subsequent erosion due to the inspiratory and expiratory forces of the lung on the asbestos body.