Microscopy Technologies and Their Applications
This comprehensive page explores various microscopy technologies, their working principles, and applications in biological research. The content covers three main types of microscopes: optical microscopes, electron microscopes, and laser scanning confocal microscopes.
Definition: Resolution is the ability to distinguish between objects that are close together, while magnification indicates how many times larger the image is compared to the real object.
Highlight: Electron microscope technology achieves a maximum resolution of 0.002μm/0.2nm, significantly higher than optical microscopes.
Example: The transmission electron microscope can observe small cellular organelles like ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes.
Vocabulary: Artifacts are artificial structures or features that appear in microscope images due to specimen preparation methods.
The page details specific characteristics of different microscope types:
- Optical Microscopes:
- Use light for imaging
- Maximum resolution of 0.2 μm (200nm)
- Limited by light wavelength (500-650 nm)
- Useful magnification up to x1500
- Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs):
- Use electron beams and electromagnets
- Provides high-resolution internal structure images
- Maximum magnification x1,500,000
- Requires thin specimen preparation
- Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs):
- Creates 3D surface images
- Lower resolution than TEMs
- Effective for thick specimens
- Produces detailed external structure views
- Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopes:
- Uses fluorescent dyes and laser scanning
- Produces layer-by-layer 3D images
- High resolution capabilities
- Suitable for thick specimens and living organisms
Quote: "The laser beam is bringing up the image layer by layer"
