2.1 Cell Biology Flashcards
What’s the use of Microscopes?
Microscopes can be used to observe and investigate cell structure
Types of Microscopes?
Different types of microscope can be used to study cells at different levels of detail
- Light microscopes
- Electron microscopes
What are light microscopes?
Light microscopes use light to form an image
- Maximum resolution is 0.2 micrometres (µm)
- Maximum useful magnification is ×1500
- used to observe larger structures:
= entire cells
= nuclei
= mitochondria and chloroplasts
Light Microscopes : Positives
- they are small and relatively cheap
- they can be used to produce colour images
- they allow the observation of living specimens
Light Microscope : Negatives
- they’re resolution is lower
- they’re magnification is also lower
- aren’t capable of seeing specific small structure
What are Electron Microscopes?
Electron microscopes use electrons to form an image
- Maximum resolution of 0.2 nm
- Maximum magnification from around ×1,000,000 up
Electron microscopes can be used to observe small structures inside cells:
= cell membranes
= ribosomes
- there are two types:
= transmission electron microscopes (TEMs)
= scanning electron microscopes (SEMs)
Electron Microscopes : Positives
- produces very high resolution therefore the specimen can be well investigated
- also has a very high magnification to identify certain parts
- images can be artificially coloured during processing
- helps validate studies and has 2 different types
Electron Microscope : Negatives
- they are very large and expensive
- specimens must be prepared using a highly complex process
- live specimens cannot be observed
- images are always produced as black and white
EM : Transmission Electron Microscopes
- Use electromagnets to transmit a beam of electrons through a specimen; denser parts appear darker on the final image
- TEMs produce images that:
= are high-resolution
= allow the internal structures within cells
= are two-dimensional
EM : Scanning Electron Microscope
- pass a beam of electrons across the surface of a specimen and then detect the rate at which the electrons bounce back
- SEMs produce images that:
= are three-dimensional
= show the surface of specimens
= lower maximum resolution than TEMs
What’s the Magnification Formula?
Magnification = size of Image ÷ size of Actual object
The magnification formula can be rearranged to allow the calculation of:
- magnification (M)
- size of image (I)
- size of actual size (A)
Describe conversion units in Magnification:
Units of measurement relate to each other as follows:
- 1000 nm = 1 µm
- 1000 µm = 1 mm
- 1000 mm = 1 m
- 10 mm = 1 cm
What is magnification?
Magnification:
The number of times larger an image is than the actual object
The ability of a microscope to magnify an object depends on the type of microscope, and on the features of the microscope itself
What is resolution?
Resolution:
The ability to distinguish separate points on an image as two separate objects
The higher the resolution, the shorter the distance at which the two objects can be clearly distinguished
What’s a Eukaryotic cell?
- Eukaryotic cells are larger than other cells
- their DNA is contained in a nucleus
- are complex multicellular organisms containing a range of specialized cells
EC : Cell Membrane
- cells are surrounded by a cell surface membrane
- it controls the exchange of materials between the internal cell environment and the external environment; involved in osmosis
- membrane is ‘partially permeable’
- in control of what goes inside and outside of the cell