Advantages and disadvantages of electron microscope

Processes such as cell division can be observed live under a light microscope, but not under electron microscopes.ДЄs you can see, there are clear benefits and drawbacks to both types of microscopes. This makes viewing live processes impossible. Their internal structure demands a vacuum, since the electrons would otherwise be absorbed by the air. LimitationsДЄpart from the limitations listed above (resolution and magnification for light microscopes and practicality and image coloring for electron microscope), electron microscopes have another significant disadvantage. They are also much more expensive than light microscopes. In contrast, electron microscopes are relatively larger, and need a specialized high-power source. As long as the lenses are protected, the apparatus is quite sturdy. Practical ConcernsДue to their relatively simple mechanism, light microscopes (even compound microscopes) are very easy to carry and operate. These images are often given false colors for better clarity, especially if the image is going to be released to the public. Electron microscopes have nothing to do with the wavelength of the radiation (thus the phrase вЂeffective wavelengthвЂ™), and thus produce grayscale (B/W) images. Since light microscopes use visible light, the images can be seen in the normal visible color range. Though this is a significant amount of magnification, it is dwarfed by the electron microscopeвЂ™s ability to achieve a magnification of up to 250,000x. This means that electron microscopes are capable of providing as much as 400 times more detail than a light microscope.ДЄ light microscope provides a magnification of up to 1500x, but 1000x is more common.

This means that objects that wouldnвЂ™t have been visible on a light microscope are much clearer in an electron microscope. In the case of electron microscopes, the resolution can drop down to less than 1 nm. In practical terms, this means that substances smaller than 200 nm wonвЂ™t show up as a separate entity, and will be merged with a larger shape. Light microscopes are typically capable of providing a resolution of up to 200 nm. This provides a quasi-3D rendering of the specimen with depth perception. This is used when the specimen is not thin enough to allow electrons through. In scanning electron microscopes, electrons reflecting off the specimen provide information about the surface of the specimen. The image is identified and labeled with the help of preexisting knowledge about the permeability of particular substances to electrons. The parts that allow the electrons to pass through appear bright. The parts that absorb the electrons prevent their passage to the screen, and thus appear dark. The specimen lies above the fluorescent screen, and hence, the electrons that make a mark on the screen are the ones able to pass through the specimen. On the other hand, electron microscopes form images based on the selective absorption of electrons by various parts of the specimen.

Simple light microscopes, which are simply very strong magnifying lenses, use the reflection of light, but this type is not popular in academic and scientific circles. This light is then focused and magnified by the lenses in a compound microscope. Light passing through a specimen in a light microscope scatters due to the properties of the various substances in the specimen.

In both types, the radiation passing through the specimen is used to form an image. HereвЂ™s an illustration of the structure of each type of microscope. However, light microscopes are much more practical in general use. Using visible light as a radiation has several limitations, which the electron microscope lessens. The main difference between light and electron microscopes is the radiation used to form an image the вЂlightвЂ™ and вЂelectronвЂ™ in the names refer to the radiation being used. HereвЂ™s a brief comparison between the light microscope and the electron microscope. While both these instruments perform a similar job, there are notable differences between the two. Light microscopes were instrumental in the discovery of the cell and gave birth to the science of microbiology, while electron microscopes have allowed us to probe further into the depths of reality. He also observed various substances with his invention, and is thus considered the worldвЂ™s first microbiologist. Since he invented the instrument without which the field of microbiology simply couldnвЂ™t have existed, he is known as the Father of Microbiology. The microscope was invented by a Dutch lens-maker and scientist, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. HereвЂ™s more about the differences between light microscopes and electron microscopes. There are two major types of microscopes the ones that use light, and the ones that use electrons. Microscopes are a vital tool in laboratories.

Advantages and disadvantages of electron microscope