Different types of

microscopes
Lesson Element

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 Objectives
Learners should be able to:
• explain how an electron microscope is different
to a light microscope
• define the terms magnification and resolution
• convert units of measurement used in
microscopy
• state with examples, when different microscopes
are used.
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 3

• What is the smallest thing you can see

with your eyes?

• What is the smallest thing you can see

with a light microscope?

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 Light Microscopes
Light rays are
Eyepiece focussed using glass
lens lenses to magnify
objects up to x1500

Coarse and fine Focusing

Objective lenses

Stage Stage clips

Diaphragm
Mirror

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 Cheek cell
plasma membrane

cytoplasm nucleus

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 Onion cells

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 To see more detail an electron
microscope can be used
• Electron microscopes use an electron beam
instead of light, which is focussed using
electromagnets.
• The specimen has to be specially prepared and
held inside a vacuum chamber from which the air
has been pumped out (because electrons do not
travel very far in air).
• The image is formed as a photograph (called
an electron micrograph) or as an image on a TV
screen.
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 Electron microscope
high voltage
electron gun
• Specimen is dead
anode and dehydrated.
condenser lens
• Black and white
objective specimen
aperture lens
image [or false
colour].
Intermediate • Objects can be
lens projector lens
magnified up to
fluorescent x500 000!
screen

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 Which parts of this cell would be
visible using a light microscope?
• Nucleus
• Cytoplasm
• Cell membrane
• Possibly mitochondria

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 Which parts of the cell would be visible using
an transmission electron microscope (TEM)

• Nucleus
• Cytoplasm
• Cell membrane
• Possibly mitochondria

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 What can be seen with an electron
Microscope?

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 Scanning electron microscope
Work in a similar way but are designed to make
images of the surfaces of objects.

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 Resolution
• Resolution means how close together 2 objects
can be, and still be seen as separate objects.
• Resolution of a light microscope 0.250 µm
• Resolution of an electron microscope 0.25 nm
• Do you know how small µm and nm are?

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 Magnification
• Magnification is how many times bigger an
object is in an image, than in real life.
• Magnification using light microscope – up to
x1500
• Magnification using an electron microscope – up
to x500 000

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 Comparing light and electron microscopes
Light microscope Electron microscope

Magnification

Resolution

Type of radiation used

Focussed by

Type of material that can

be viewed

Size

Preparation and cost of

material
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 Comparing light and electron microscopes
Light microscope Electron microscope

Magnification x1500 X500,000

Resolution 250nm 0.25nm

Type of radiation used Light Electrons

Focussed by Glass lenses Electromagnets

Type of material that can Living/moving/dead/abiotic Dead/abiotic

be viewed

Size Small and portable Large and static

Preparation and cost of Cheap and easy Difficult and expensive

material

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 How big are cells?
Units for measurements
• mm
• Micrometers - µm
• Nanometers – nm

• 1mm = 1000µm
• 1µm = 1000nm

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 Cheek cell
• Approximately 60µm in diameter.

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 Onion cell
• Approximately
200µm in length.

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 Mitochondrion
• Approximately 2µm in
diameter.

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 HIV Virus
• Approximately 2µm
in diameter.

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 Put these in size order starting with
the biggest
• Cilia 10µm
• Mitochondrion 2µm
• Sperm cell 55µm
• Ribosome 20nm
• Human kidney 13cm
• Nerve cell from a giraffes neck 3m
• Red blood cell 9µm
• HIV virus 100nm
• Human egg 100µm
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 Put these in size order starting with
the biggest - answers
• Nerve cell from a giraffes neck 3m
• Human kidney 13cm
• Human egg 100µm
• Sperm cell 55µm
• Cilia 10µm
• Red blood cell 9µm
• Mitochondrion 2µm
• HIV virus 100nm
• Ribosome 20nm
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 Convert these measurements
1. 10mm = µm
2. 3mm = µm
3. 670 µm = mm
4. 0.75mm = µm
5. 24 µm = nm
6. 186nm = µm

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 Convert these measurements - answers

1. 10mm = 10 000µm
2. 3mm = 3 000µm
3. 670 µm = 0.67mm
4. 0.75mm = 750µm
5. 24 µm = 24 000nm
6. 186nm = 0.186µm

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 Quick quiz

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• study the internal structure of a mitochondria?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• view sperm cells to see if they are moving?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• look at organisms, cells or tissues that are alive?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• view the surface of a bacterial cell?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• observe the double membrane around a
chloroplast?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• look at a cross-section
of a sample at high
resolution?
• What do you think this
is a picture of?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• look at a viral cell?

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 What sort of microscope would you
use to…
• look at the shape and surface of red blood cells
in detail?

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 What have we learnt using electron
microscopes?
• Cells contain organelles to carry out different
functions.
• The internal structure of organelles and how
they function.
• Structure of bacteria and viruses.
• Causes of medical conditions e.g. MS, HIV.

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 Objectives
Can you:
• explain how an electron microscope is different
to a light microscope
• define the terms magnification and resolution
• convert units of measurement used in
microscopy
• state with examples, when different microscopes
are used.
© OCR 2017
 37

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