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Related Concept Videos

Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology01:28

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...

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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Visualization of Endosome Dynamics in Living Nerve Terminals with Four-dimensional Fluorescence Imaging
10:51

Visualization of Endosome Dynamics in Living Nerve Terminals with Four-dimensional Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: April 16, 2014

4D electron imaging: principles and perspectives.

Dmitry Shorokhov1, Ahmed H Zewail

  • 1Physical Biology Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, Arthur Amos Noyes Laboratory for Chemical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|May 14, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

4D electron imaging achieves picometer and femtosecond resolution, enabling direct visualization of ultrafast structural dynamics. This technique offers new insights into chemical reactions, material phase transitions, and biological structures.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Biology

Background:

  • The field of electron imaging is advancing rapidly.
  • High spatial and temporal resolutions are crucial for observing dynamic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight developments and concepts in 4D electron imaging.
  • To overview principles of direct visualization of structural dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Ultrafast electron diffraction
  • Ultrafast electron crystallography
  • Ultrafast electron microscopy

Main Results:

  • Achieved picometer spatial and femtosecond temporal resolutions.
  • Demonstrated applications in complex chemical reactions, phase transitions, and cellular structures.

Conclusions:

  • 4D electron imaging provides direct visualization of structural dynamics.
  • The technique has broad applications across chemistry, materials science, and biology.
  • Future research directions are identified for advancing the field.