Fundamentals of Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Imaging mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that can visualize the distribution of molecules using a tool called a mass spectrometer. In the case of biological samples, the visualized molecules include any species that can be detected by the mass spectrometer, such as metabolites, drugs, lipids, peptides, and proteins. A brief introduction of the fundamentals of imaging MS is presented in this chapter.