Chapter 7, Problem 18STP

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

Magnification produced by an electron microscope is higher than light microscope.

Introduction:

Cells vary in size and forms and most of them are not only visible under the microscope. A microscope is an object used to magnify an object or a specimen.

Explanation of Solution

Light microscope employs optical lenses to bend light to magnify microscope specimens. The light microscope uses an objective lense and an ocular lens. The objective lens has varying magnification while the ocular lenses has a fixed magnification. As the light microscope employs visible light, the magnification power is limited.

Electron microscope uses a beam of electrons to produce a magnified image of a specimen. As electrons have much shorter wavelength than visible light, it allows electron microscopes to produce higher resolution images. The total magnification of an electron microscope can be up to 200,000 times as electrons have a much smaller wavelength. The electrons along with arrangement of chambers of special mirrors, scanning coils, electron detector and amplifier present in the electron microscope helps to give an enlarged magnified image of the object.

Conclusion

The sources of illumination and lenses deploy effects the magnification of the microscopes. Electron microscope are used to produce high resolution detailed images of a biological and non-biological specimens.