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Thousands of receptors are also believed to be present on, or in, the cell membranes (Burgen andBarnard, 1992; Lauffenberger and Linderman, 1993; Kennakin and Angus, 2000). Many of thesereceptors have been isolated and sequenced, and their size is such that they are within theresolution of the electron microscope. There are also believed to be many transmembranemolecules. One may say quite categorically that neither the membrane receptors, nor thetransmembrane molecules, nor the transporters are seen by electron microscopy. One possibilityis that during the preparation for electron microscopy the macromolecules have moved todifferent locations in the cell, but where? If one were to entertain this possibility, it wouldimmediately throw doubt on any localisation of a macromolecule or structure by electronmicroscopy. There seems to me to be much simpler hypotheses, including: (i) the ligands are notreacting with the receptors; (ii) the macromolecules are only formed as a consequence of theprocedures for their isolation; (iii) receptors do not exist. My hypothesis is that the receptorproperty represents the molecules on the cell membrane, the cytoplasm, the mitochondria and thenucleus which react with the ligands under the conditions of the experiment. I begpharmacologists and biochemists to offer another explanation for the failure of their favouritemacromolecules to show up face to face with the microscopists. Under the electron microscope,the cell membranes of neurons appear to be as smooth as an angel‟s cheeks.The cytoplasm of the neuron is continuous with that of the axon and dendrites, since onecannot see any barriers between them. The cytoplasm contains mitochondria, which can be seenin living cells, but the following other structures are seen only in two dimensions on electronmicrographs, and are artefacts: the endoplasmic reticulum; the cytoskeleton; contractile systems;mitochondrial cristae. Lysosomes, peroxisomes and phagosomes are not seen in unfixed cells.The Golgi apparatus, which was detected when neurons of barn owls were stained with silverstains (1898), is an artefact (Hillman and Sartory, 1980, p,63-66). (Table 1). The twodimensionality of these structures on electron microscopy does not seem to have beencommented on in print, but privately electron microscopists have asserted that the micrographsused to illustrate these structures have been chosen from the clearest images available and theseare obviously those which cut the plane of section normally. In response, I have repeated my pleain private conversations, in correspondence, in lectures and in publications, for anyone to provideme either with published references, or with individual micrographs, showing the full range of10