microscopy - light & electron microscopy

what are the two types of microscope?

light and electron

what is the magnifying power of a light microscope?

magnification: x 2000

what are the five advantages of light microscopes compared to electron microscopes?

they are cheap, easy to use, small = easy to transport, produce colour images, can see living specimens (e.g. live cells)

what is a disadvantages of light microscopes compared to electron microscopes?

light microscopes rely on light while electron microscopes on electrons - light has a much longer wavelength than electrons, which means light microscopes have a lower resolution than electrons microscopes - this in turn means that light microscopes have a lower maximum magnification, and so can’t see many details within the cells, such as the details of sub-cellular structures

what is the magnifying power of an electron microscopes?

magnification: x 2000000

what is the main advantage of electron microscopes compared to light microscopes?

electron microscopes have a greater resolution and magnification, meaning they can be used to see details in sub-cellular structures

why do electron microscopes have a greater magnification and resolution than light microscopes?

they use a beam of electrons rather than light waves, and the electrons have a shorter wave length than light waves

what are the five disadvantages of electron microscopes compared to light microscopes?

they are expensive, difficult to use = require specialist training, large = difficult to transport, images generated in black and white, can only view dead specimens