2.1.1 Microscopy Flashcards
What are the 4 types of microscope?
• Light microscope
• transmission electron microscope [TEM]
• scanning electron microscope [SEM]
• laser scanning confocal microscope (type of light microscope)
How does a Scanning Electron microscope work?
A beam of elections is sent across the surface of the specimen and the reflected electrons are collected to form the image
Does a scanning electron microscope produce a 2D or 3D image?
SEM produces a 3D image
Does a SEM give a higher or lower resolution than a TEM
SEM produces lower resolution images than TEM
How does a Transmission electron microscope work?
Use electromagnets, a beam of electrons pass through the specimen and focussed to produce the image.
Denser parts of the specimen absorb more electrons, so they look darker.
Do transmission electron microscopes have a higher or lower resolution than SEM
Transmission electron microscopes have a very high resolution
How does a laser scanning confocal microscope work?
• Use laser beams,
• A single spot of light is moved across the sample (point illumination).
• Specimen is dyed with fluorescent dye
• Laser causes dyed parts to fluorescence - give off light
• light filtered through pinhole onto detector
• pinhole means out of focus light is blocked, producing a clear image.
Does a laser scanning confocal microscope produce a 3D or 2d image
Laser scanning confocal microscope images can be both 2D and 3D
Properties of light microscope:
Uses…
Magnification
Resolution
Dead / alive specimen
Light microscope:
Uses light radiation and glass lenses to focus
Magnification x1500 - x2000
Resolution 200nm / 0.2um
No vacuum - specimens can be alive/dead
Stained with eyes
Viewed with eye
View whole cells or tissues
Properties of scanning electron microscope:
Uses…
Magnification
Resolution
Dead / alive specimen
Stained with…
Viewed with…
Image colour…
• Uses electrons from electron gun, focused by electromagnets
• magnification x100 000 -x500 000
• resolution 3-10nm / 0.002um
• need vacuum - dead specimen
• stained with heavy metals
•Viewed on computer
• B&W
Properties of transmission electron microscope:
Uses…
Magnification
Resolution
Dead / alive specimen
Stained with…
Viewed with…
Image colour…
Uses electron from electron gun, focussed by electromagnets
•Magnification - x500 000 - x2000 000
•Resolution - 0.2 - 0.5nm / 0.0002um
• need vacuum - dead specimen
• stained with heavy metals
• Viewed on computer
• B&W
Features of light microscope images
• Light background
• 2D
• Variety of colours
• Show details larger than 200nm only
• Large organelles only - (nuclei, vacuole, cholroplasts, mitochondria) / parts of organisms/whole cells
• observing small organisms
Features of laser scanning confocal microscope
• 2D computer can make 3D
• black background
• limited colour
• observing stained structures within cells/whole cells
Features of transmission electron microscope
• Always 2D
• only grayscale unless false colour
• v high magnification
• high resolution - grainy image
• observing organelles within cells or whole cells
Features of scanning electron microscope
• 3D (inside and outside)
• outside surfaces
• greyscale/ false colour