Microscopy and Biological Structures

A tool that allows you to see tiny objects that are invisible to the naked eye, such as subcellular structures.

The scientific study of tiny objects and structures using microscopes.

A combination of lenses that create an enlarged image of a specimen. It also helps separate details and make them visible.

Invented around 1590 by the Jansen brothers, it used two lenses to magnify objects by 50-100 times.

The 11th-century Arab scholar who described the properties of lenses.

In the early 1600s, Hans and Zacharias Jansen are credited with inventing the first compound microscope. However, the quality of the lenses was poor.

Published in 1665 by Robert Hooke, it contained the first known image of a microscope.

He started creating his own simple microscopes and made important discoveries, like nematodes and rotifers.

A microscope that uses a combination of two lenses: an objective lens and an eyepiece. The objective lens magnifies the specimen, and the eyepiece further magnifies the image, creating a highly magnified view.

A microscope that allows the user to see a 3D image of the specimen. It uses two separate optical paths to create a stereoscopic view.

A type of stereo microscope used for examining larger, thicker specimens or for tasks like dissecting, sorting, or micro-surgery.

A type of microscope that uses interference patterns to enhance the contrast of transparent specimens. It helps visualize the details of cell components and macromolecules.

An inverted microscope designed for observing samples that are placed on top of the stage, such as polished metal samples. It has the light source and condenser above the stage.

A type of inverted microscope specialized for observing cell morphology. The light source and condenser are positioned above the stage, allowing for greater space for micro-manipulation.

A type of microscope that uses electrons instead of light to form an image. It offers much higher magnification and resolution than light microscopes.

A type of electron microscope where a beam of electrons is transmitted through a thin specimen. This allows for visualizing the internal structures of cells and tissues.

The process of using lenses to enlarge the image of a small object.

The lens closest to the specimen, which produces the first magnified image.

The lens that further amplifies the image from the objective lens, creating the final image you see.

The total magnification of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the magnification of the objective lens by the magnification of the ocular lens.

A type of microscope that uses visible light to illuminate and magnify specimens.

The component that focuses light onto the specimen, controlling the brightness and clarity of the image.

The platform where the specimen slide is placed for viewing.

The ability of a microscope to distinguish between two closely spaced objects as separate entities.

A type of microscope that enhances the contrast between different parts of a transparent specimen by converting phase shifts (caused by light passing through different refractive indices) into amplitude variations (brightness differences).

An imaging technique used in microscopes to visualize specimens that are not easily visible with normal light microscopy. It uses a special condenser and objective lens to produce an image based on the differences in refractive index of different parts of the specimen.

Used to observe the morphology of microorganisms, detect cell structures, and study their internal structures, motility, and size.

In all types of traditional light microscopes, cell constituents aren't easily distinguishable without staining. Fluorescence Microscopy overcomes this by using dyes that emit light when excited by specific wavelengths, making specific parts of the cell visible.

A type of light microscopy that uses fluorescence to visualize specimens. It illuminates the specimen with a specific wavelength of light, causing fluorescent molecules in the specimen to emit light at a longer wavelength. This emitted light is then collected and imaged.

A method that combines antibodies with fluorescent molecules for visualization in microscopy.

The phenomenon where certain compounds, when illuminated with high-energy light, emit light of a different, lower frequency. It is the basis of fluorescent microscopy.

Many different fluorescent dyes, specific to different structures or chemical compounds, can be used to visualize specific parts of cells or organisms.

Fluorescent molecules used to label specific components in a specimen.

Some specimens naturally exhibit auto-fluorescence, meaning they emit light at longer wavelengths when illuminated with high-energy light. This property can be used for imaging without the need for additional staining.

A device that separates the excitation light from the emitted fluorescence, ensuring only the fluorescence reaches the detector.

Filters and mirrors that are chosen based on the specific excitation and emission characteristics of the fluorophores used.

The scientists who discovered the electron microscope.

Uses electromagnetic lenses to focus a beam of electrons onto a specimen, creating a magnified image.

Electron microscopes use a beam of electrons to illuminate and magnify objects, leading to significantly higher resolution compared to light microscopes.

The wavelength of electrons is much shorter than that of light, which allows electron microscopes to resolve much finer details.

Electron magnets are used to focus the electron beam, much like lenses focus light in a light microscope.

In a TEM, electrons pass through a very thin specimen, creating an image based on how the electrons interact with the specimen.

TEMs are used to observe the internal structures of cells and tissues, revealing details like organelles and macromolecules.

In a SEM, the electron beam scans the surface of a specimen, producing a 3D image based on the electrons emitted from the surface.

SEMs are used to study surface morphology, providing detailed three-dimensional views of structures like micro-organisms, materials, and even fossils.

The resolving power of an EM is much higher than a light microscope because electrons have a far shorter wavelength than light, but the practical resolution is limited by the numerical aperture of EM lenses, which is much smaller than the aperture of a light microscope lens.