- Compound, or light microscopes, are limited due to the resolving power of visible light. Illuminating a specimen with a smaller wavelength would solve the problem of resolution.

- use a beam of electrons instead of light for generating an image of a specimen. Instead of lenses, electron microscopes use electromagnets to bend the electron beam and magnify and focus the image onto a screen. The result is a resolving power that is increased to allow magnification of up to 1,000,000 times versus a 1,000 times, as in the compound microscope.

transmission electron microscope (TEM)

- A specimen is cut into extremely thin slices, and an electron beam is directed through the specimen. The resulting picture reveals detail about the internal structure of a specimen.

scanning electron microscope (SEM)

- An electron beam scans the surface of an object that has been coated in metal. When the beam hits the metal, the metal emits electrons. The electrons are focused to form an image. SEM images enable a magnified view of surface details.

How do the images generated by a transmission electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope differ?

- A transmission electron microscope passes a beam of electrons directly through a specimen.

As a graduate student, you are required to take detailed pictures of the progressive stages of DNA coiling. You should probably use a

- transmission electron microscope because of its resolving power.

3.6.2 Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes Flashcards by Irina Soloshenko

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3.6.2 Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes Flashcards

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