Electron microscopy
Electron Microscopy
Electron microscopy (pronunciation: /ɪˈlɛktrɒn ˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpi/) is a type of microscopy that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination.
Etymology
The term "electron microscopy" is derived from the Greek words "electron" meaning amber, from which electricity was first produced, and "microscopy" from "mikros" meaning small and "skopein" meaning to look or see.
History
Electron microscopy was developed in the early 20th century, as a result of the limitation of light microscopy. A conventional light microscope can only magnify up to approximately 2000 times, whereas an electron microscope can magnify up to approximately two million times.
Types of Electron Microscopy
There are two main types of electron microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). TEM transmits electrons through a very thinly sliced specimen, whereas SEM creates images by detecting reflected or knocked-off electrons.
Applications
Electron microscopy has many applications in various fields such as biology, chemistry, gemology, metallurgy and forensics. It is used to examine the ultrastructure of a wide range of biological and inorganic specimens including microorganisms, cells, large molecules, biopsy samples, metals, and crystals.
Related Terms
- Microscope
- Transmission Electron Microscopy
- Scanning Electron Microscopy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Gemology
- Metallurgy
- Forensics
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Electron microscopy
- Wikipedia's article - Electron microscopy
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