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:

1. 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

2. Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs):

• Use electron beams and electromagnets
• Provides high-resolution internal structure images
• Maximum magnification x1,500,000
• Requires thin specimen preparation

3. Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs):

• Creates 3D surface images
• Lower resolution than TEMs
• Effective for thick specimens
• Produces detailed external structure views

4. 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"