Electron Microscopy Of Subcellular Structure

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
OF SUBCELLULAR
STRUCTURE
Modern Biological Microscopy Techniques Report
Contents: Page No.
Abstract........................................................................................................
01
Introduction...................................................................................................
01
Working
Principle............................................................................................02
Biological
Applications......................................................................................03
Limitations....................................................................................................
.06
References.....................................................................................................

.06
1

Abstract
The development of Electron Microscopy (EM) dates back to 1926 when Hans Busch developed
the first electromagnetic lenses. Significant developments occurred in the 1930s, when in 1931
physicist Ernst Ruska provided the first working prototype of electron microscope. Electron
microscopy has evolved as a powerful imaging technique which has enabled biologists to
understand the cell and its ultrastructure. In the recent times, EM has been utilized for studying
molecules and their interactions within the cell. However, EM has its limitations and scientists
are striving to achieve a better understanding of EM for extending its applications in biological
sciences.
Introduction
Microscopy is one of the fundamental techniques that biologists utilize to observe the
morphology and structure of specimens which are invisible to the naked eye. Initial microscopy
techniques were based on light waves and optics and the magnitude of magnification and
resolution achievable with light had its limitation. Electron microscopy (EM) is based on
electrons instead of light waves and can, therefore, achieve a resolution of approximately 1000
times that of light microscope (Gordon, 2014). However, initial attempts to study biological
samples with electron microscope failed due to the fact that the tissues prepared for light
microscopy had different physical properties which were not compatible with electron
microscope. To accommodate the differences in the physical properties of the light waves and
electrons, changes in specimen preparation were made and as a result it became possible to
capture images of biological samples with a greater resolution and magnification (Gordon,
2014). Further, EM along with other molecular detection techniques provided scope to localize
proteins and other molecules of interest in the cellular environment (Koster & Klumperman,
2003). The advent of electron microscope led to the development of new methods for specimen
preparation and introduced scientists to a new realm of structural details of the subcellular world.
In the present times, electron microscopy is an indispensable part of most of the studies related to
sub-cellular structures.
Working Principle
2