Microscope

An introduction to the microscope with colored illustrations, projects, and activities.

Breathtaking photographs reveal the secrets of the micro world, from algae to atoms, dust to GNA, and flies' eyes to flu viruses. Ages 9+.

This work is based on experiences acquired by the authors regarding often asked questions and problems during manifold education of beginners in analytical transmission electron microscopy. These experiences are summarised illustratively in this textbook. Explanations based on simple models and hints for the practical work are the focal points. This practically- oriented textbook represents a clear and comprehensible introduction for all persons who want to use a transmission electron microscope in practice but who are not specially qualified electron microscopists up to now.

Many people look upon a microscope as a mere instrument(l); to them microscopy is instrumentation. Other people consider a microscope to be simply an aid to the eye; to them microscopy is primarily an expan sion of macroscopy. In actuality, microscopy is both objective and sub jective; it is seeing through an instrument by means of the eye, and more importantly, the brain. The function of the brain is to interpret the eye's image in terms of the object's structure. Thought and experience are required to distinguish structure from artifact. It is said that Galileo (1564-1642) had his associates first look through his telescope microscope at very familiar objects to convince them that the image was a true representation of the object. Then he would have them proceed to hitherto unknown worlds too far or too small to be seen with the un aided eye. Since Galileo's time, light microscopes have been improved so much that performance is now very close to theoretical limits. Electron microscopes have been developed in the last four decades to exhibit thousands of times the resolving power of the light microscope. Through the news media everyone is made aware of the marvelous microscopical accomplishments in imagery. However, little or no hint is given as to what parts of the image are derived from the specimen itself and what parts are from the instrumentation, to say nothing of the changes made during preparation of the specimen.