2.1 Cell Structure Flashcards
what is magnification?
how much bigger an image appears compared to the original object
what is resolution?
the ability to distinguish between two points of an image
what are light microscopes also known as?
optical microscopes
what are the advantages of light microscopes?
cheap, easy to use, portable, can study whole living specimens
what is the maximum magnification of a light microscope?
x2000
can light microscopes be used to view organelles such as ribosomes?
no, the resolution is not high enough
how do you calculate total magnification using the lenses?
magnifying power of objective lens x magnifying power of eyepiece lens
what is a photomicrograph?
a photograph of the image from an optical microscope
what are laser scanning microscopes also known as?
confocal microscopes
how do laser scanning microscopes form images?
laser light scans an object point by point and a computer assembles them into pixels on a screen
what are the advantages of laser scanning microscopes?
high resolution, depth selectivity (can view cells but also whole living specimens)
how are laser scanning microscopes used in medicine?
in biological research and to identify pathogens, specifically fungi, for fast diagnosis and treatment
what are the two types of electron microscopes?
transmission electron microscopes and scanning electron microscopes
what is the maximum magnification of a transmission electron microscope?
x 2 million
what kind of image do transmission electron microscopes form?
2D black and white / greyscale image
what is an electron micrograph?
photo of an image produced by an electron microscope
what is the maximum magnification of a scanning electron microscope?
x 200 000
what kind of image do scanning electron microscopes form?
3D black and white / greyscale image but colour can be artificially added using computer software
what are the advantages of electron microscopes?
extremely high resolution and magnification and so give very clear and magnified images
what are the disadvantages of electron microscopes?
large, expensive, require training to use, specimens must be dead as they are viewed in a vacuum, metallic salt stains potentially hazardous to user
what is differential staining?
using stains that bind to specific cell structures to easily identify them
what does acetic urchin stain?
DNA, stains chromosomes dark red
what does eosin stain?
cytoplasm
what does Sudan red stain?
lipids
what does iodine stain?
stains starch blue-black via potassium iodide solution
why are some specimens embedded in wax?
to prevent distortion during slicing