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Related Concept Videos

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 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.
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...
Immunogold Electron Microscopy01:20

Immunogold Electron Microscopy

Immunoelectron microscopy utilizes immunogold labeling of endogenous proteins with specific antibodies to detect and localize these proteins in cells and tissues. The procedure provides insights into the distribution and quantification of protein under different stimulation conditions offering clues about their functions. Conjugating highly electron-dense gold particles with primary or secondary antibodies allow antigen detection on and within cells, with high resolution and specificity.
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Large-scale Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (Nanotomy) of Healthy and Injured Zebrafish Brain
10:09

Large-scale Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (Nanotomy) of Healthy and Injured Zebrafish Brain

Published on: May 25, 2016

Scanning electron microscopy to examine cells and organs.

Jovenal T SanAgustin1, John A Follit, Gregory Hendricks

  • 1Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA.

Methods in Cell Biology
|April 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Scanning electron microscopy reveals detailed surface structures of cells and organs. This chapter details methods for examining mouse kidneys and embryonic nodes, adaptable for other mammalian tissues.

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Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
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Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy

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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Large-scale Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (Nanotomy) of Healthy and Injured Zebrafish Brain
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Published on: May 25, 2016

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
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Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix

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Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy
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Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: August 16, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Microscopy Techniques

Background:

  • Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) offers high-resolution imaging of cellular and organ surfaces.
  • SEM has a well-established history in the study of eukaryotic cilia and flagella.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present established methods for SEM analysis of specific biological samples.
  • To provide a foundation for adapting these methods to other mammalian organs and organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Detailed protocols for preparing and imaging mouse kidneys using SEM.
  • Specific techniques for visualizing the embryonic node via SEM.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of exquisite detail in surface projections of examined tissues.
  • Successful application of SEM to complex structures like cilia and flagella.

Conclusions:

  • The presented SEM methods are effective for detailed surface analysis of mammalian organs.
  • These protocols serve as a valuable starting point for broader applications in biological research.