Question

The best microscope to study ultra structure of cell is

• A. Phase contrast microscope
• B. Electron microscope (EM)
• C. Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
• D. Flourescent microscope

Answer 1

The correct option is B Electron microscope (EM)

An electron microscope is a microscope that uses accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. Because the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, the electron microscope has a higher resolving power than a light microscope and can reveal the structure of smaller objects.

A transmission electron microscope can achieve better resolution and magnifications of up to about 10,000,000x whereas most light microscopes are limited by diffraction to about 200nm resolution and useful magnifications below 2000x.

Electron microscopes are used to investigate the ultrastructure of a wide range of biological and inorganic specimens including microorganisms, cells, large molecules, biopsy samples, metals, and crystals. Industrially, the electron microscope is often used for quality control and failure analysis. Modern electron microscopes produce electron micrographs, using specialized digital cameras or frame grabbers to capture the image.