Chapter 4 Flashcards
A unit of measurement is?
Smaller than the object being measured
Scientists use what type of measurements?
Metric units
The metric system is a?
Decimal system
Unit of length in the metric system is?
Meter (m)
One tenth of a meter is?
decimeter (dm)
One one-hundreth of a meter is a?
Centimeter (cm)
One tenth of a centimeter is?
millimeter (mm)
In the metric system, we continue to divide by multiples of?
10
One-thousandth of a millimeter is?
A micrometer which is small enough to be useful in measuring cells
Unit used to measure the smallest cellular organelles and viruses
nanometer (nm) which is one-billionth of a meter
Microscopy refers to?
The use of light or electrons to magnify objects
Science of microscopy began when
Leeuwenhoek used primitive microscopes to observe & report the existence of microorganisms
General principle involved in both light and electron microscopy include
The wavelength of radiation, the magnification of an image, the resolving power of the instrument, and contrast in the specimen
Beams of radiation may be referred to as either
Rays or waves
rays and waves (various forms of radiation) differ in?
Wavelength, the distance between two corresponding parts of a wave
The human eye discriminates among different wave lengths of visible light & sends patterns of?
Nerve impulses to the brain, which interprets the impulses as different colors. For example we see wavelengths of 400nm as violet, & 650 nm as red. White light (composed of many colors (wavelengths), has an average wavelength of 550 nm
Electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit the nuclei of atoms. Besides being particulate, moving electrons act as?
Waves, with wavelengths dependent on the voltage of an electron beam. For example, the wavelength of electrons at 1,000,000 V is 0.001 nm. Radiation of smaller wavelengths results in enhanced microscopy
Magnification is the?
Apparent increase in size of an object. It is indicated by the number and “X”, which reads “times.” For example, 16,000X is 16,000 times
Magnification results when a?
Beam of radiation refracts (bends) as it passes through a lens. Curved glass lens refract light, and magnetic fields refract electron beams
A lens refracts light because?
The lens is optically dense compared to the surrounding medium (such as air); that is, light travels more slowly through the lens than through air
Because of its curvature, a lens refracts light rays that pass through its periphery more than light rays that pass through its?
Center, so that the lens focuses light rays on a focal point
The degree to which an image in enlarged depends on?
The thickness of the lens, its curvature, & the speed of light through its substance
The properties that determine the clarity of an image of a microscope, are?
Resolution and contrast
Resolution is?
Also called the resolving power, is the ability to distinguish objects that are close together
Modern microscopes have ________ resolution than Leeuwenhoek’s; they can distinguish objects as close together as 0.2 micrometers
Fivefold
Ability of the lens to gather light
Numerical aperture
Contrast refers to
Differences in intensity between two objects or between an object and its background. Important in determining resolution
What does phase mean?
All the waves crests and troughs are aligned
Bright-field microscopes (most common microscopes)
The background (or field) is illuminated
Dark-field microscopes
The specimen is made to appear light against a dark background
Phase microscopes use the
Alignment or misalignment of light waves to achieve the desired contrast between a living specimen & its background
Fluorescent microscopes use
Invisible ultraviolet light to cause specimens to radiate visible light
Microscopes that use lasers to illuminate fluorescent chemicals in a thin plane of a specimen are called
Confocal microscopes
Staining increases?
Contrast and resolution
What type of microscopy requires that specimens be treated with stains or coatings to enhance contrast?
Electron microscopy
Thin film of organisms on a slide is called a?
Smear