What are you differences between light and electron microscopy when enabling us to study cell structure?
The key factor is resolution. It is possible to make lenses for light microscopes that would magnify up to about 20 000 times but it is utterly pointless as the wavelength of light means that you can only differentiate structures that are more than 200nm apart. As a result light microscopes only have an effective magnification of about 1500X. Electrons have a much shorter wavelength (around 1nm). As a result it is possible to distinguish between structures that are less than 1nm apart and also to see much smaller objects. Using transmission electron microscopes we can look at very thin slices of cells. Scanning electron microscopes allow surface structures to be viewed in an almost 3D picture. I think that should give you enough to be going on with! I am quite surprised you are still on this. I finished it with my class in late September.
