PART 2 – MICROSCOPES

Light Microscope

• Uses visible light to magnify specimens

• Can observe living or dead cells

• Commonly used to view basic cell structures

• Used in medical diagnosis such as Pap smear tests

Fluorescent Microscope

• Uses fluorescent dyes that glow under light

• Helps identify specific cell structures or molecules

• Used to study cell functions and organelles

Confocal Scanning Microscope

• Examines three-dimensional structures of cells
• Uses a focused beam of light to scan the specimen
• Produces clear images without cutting samples

Electron Microscope

• Uses a beam of electrons instead of light
• Has higher magnification and resolution than light microscopes
• Used to study very small cell structures

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

• Produces three-dimensional images of cell surfaces
• Commonly used to observe viruses and surface details
• Images are black and white but often artificially colored

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

• Produces two-dimensional images of internal cell structures
• Requires very thin specimens
• Used to study organelles inside cells