W8 L2 - Microscopy Lecture Notes

Flashcards based on the microscopy lecture, covering different types of microscopes, their functions, and applications.

What instrument is needed to look at cells?

Microscope

Which organelle is present in prokaryotic cells but not mitochondria, chloroplasts, or a nucleus?

Ribosomes

What process occurs between DNA and RNA in the central dogma?

Transcription

What process converts RNA into protein?

Translation

What are the types of microscopy discussed?

Conventional light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy

In what year did Hooke describe cells using a primitive microscope?

1665

Who first described cells using a microscope?

Hooke

What term did Hooke use to describe the chambers he saw in sections of cork?

Cells

What can be used to stain the cytoskeleton in microscopy?

Fluorescent antibodies

Besides staining, what is another way to use fluorescence in microscopy?

Express fluorescent proteins such as GFP

What recent innovation provides much better resolution in microscopy?

Super resolution fluorescence microscopy

What is the resolution when looking at skin cells with a conventional light microscope?

Two millimeters

What kind of microscopy can be used to view organelles?

High power light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy or super resolution fluorescence microscopy

What type of microscope is needed to view structures at the atomic level (0.2 nm)?

Electron microscope

What is used in conventional light microscopy?

Visible light

What is the smallest detail that can be resolved using a conventional light microscope?

0.2 microns

What limits the resolution of a conventional light microscope?

Visible light wavelength and its nature

What are the key components of a light microscope?

Light source, condenser, movable stage, objective lens, tube lens, and eyepiece

What type of cells can be viewed with a conventional light microscope?

Live cells

What type of cell is shown as an example of viewing live cells?

Fibroblast

What is the purpose of fixing samples for microscopy?

Preserve cells and tissues in lifelike conditions

What needs to be done to tissue samples to see them under a microscope?

Staining

What type of tissue is used as an example of a stained fixed sample?

Plant root tip

What is the study of tissues called?

Histology

What is the study of cells in isolation called?

Cytology

What stain is typically done anytime staining is needed on tissue samples?

H and E staining

What is the sample in the histological section of a breast cancer?

Excised tumor from a patient

What are the dark spots in the breast cancer tissue sample?

Nuclei

What are the arrows pointing out in the H and E stained breast cancer?

Newly formed blood vessels

What is used to visualize multiple fluorescent dyes?

Wavelength of laser

What types of wavelength are involved in fluorescence microscopy?

Excitation and emission

Where does GFP come from?

Jellyfish

What is GFP used for?

Tag proteins

Why is light sheet microscopy useful?

More gentle on the sample, so you can look at them for a longer amount of time

What is the resolution of super resolution fluorescence microscopy?

20 nm

How many lasers are used in super resolution fluorescence microscopy?

Two lasers

What does the electron gun shoot out in electron microscopy?

Electrons

What does scanning electron microscopy look at in the sample?

Topography (surface of the cells)

What has to be coated with the heavy metal that is not compatible with live cells?

Heavy metal

What is best viewed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM)?

Internal architecture of cells