Microscopy- page 14

Microscopy

Cells are studied using a microscope

1. Microscopes use lenses to magnify images (make them look bigger). They also increase the resolution of an image. Resolution means how well a microscope distinguishes between two points that are close together. A higher resolution means that the image can be seen more clearly and in more detail.

2. Light microscopes were invented in the 1930s. They work by passing light through the specimen. They let us see things like nuclei and chloroplasts and we can also use them to study living cells.

3. Electron microscopes were invented in the 1930s. They use electrons rather than light. Electron microscopes have a higher magnification and resolution than light microscopes, so they let us see much smaller things in more detail like the internal structure of mitochondria and chloroplasts. This has allowed us to have a much greater understanding of how cells work and the role of subcellular structures (although they can’t be used to view living cells).

This is how to view a specimen using a light microscope    (PRACTICAL)

1. Your specimen needs to let light through it so you’ll need to take a thin slice of it to start with.

2. Next, take a clean slide and use a pipette to put one drop of water in the middle of it – this will…