![]() ![]() 2 Cotton stem area in the circle is the phloem tissue. (Resolution is the degree of sharpness of an image.) Figure 2 compares the magnification of a light microscope to that of a TEM.įig. ![]() Electron microscopes, on the other hand, can produce much more highly magnified images because the beam of electrons has a smaller wavelength which creates images of higher resolution. The power of the light microscope is limited by the wavelength of light and can magnify something up to 2,000 times. The main difference is that TEMs use electrons rather than light in order to magnify images. What Are the Differences Between a TEM and a Light Microscope?Īlthough TEMs and light microscopes operate on the same basic principles, there are several differences between the two. Drawing by Graham Colm, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 1 Simplified diagram of a transmission electron microscope. Figure 1 shows a diagram of a TEM and its basic parts.įig. This image can be then studied directly within the TEM or photographed. An image of the specimen with its assorted parts shown in different shades according to its density appears on the screen. This beam then passes through the specimen, which is very thin, and the electrons either scatter or hit a fluorescent screen at the bottom of the microscope. Rather than having a glass lens focusing the light (as in the case of light microscopes), the TEM employs an electromagnetic lens which focuses the electrons into a very fine beam. An electron gun at the top of a TEM emits electrons that travel through the microscope’s vacuum tube. TEMs employ a high voltage electron beam in order to create an image. It is no wonder TEMs have become so valuable within the biological and medical fields. In order to get a better idea of just how small that is, think of how small a cell is. TEMs can magnify objects up to 2 million times. Transmission electron microscopes (TEM) are microscopes that use a particle beam of electrons to visualize specimens and generate a highly-magnified image. What is a Transmission Electron Microscope? ![]()
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