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Transmission Electron Microscopy

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...

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

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...

Overview of Electron Microscopy

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 Microscopy

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.
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Gross Anatomy of Bone

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Bone Structure

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Within the skeletal system, the structure of a bone, or osseous tissue, can be exemplified in a long bone, like the femur, where there are two types of osseous tissue: cortical and cancellous.

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Related Experiment Video

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Multimodal Approach to Assess Bone Regeneration and Scaffold Performance

Multimodal Approach to Assess Bone Regeneration and Scaffold Performance

Published on: February 13, 2026

Transmission electron microscopy of bone.

Vincent Everts¹, Anneke Niehof, Wikky Tigchelaar-Gutter

¹Department of Oral Cell Biology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Research Institute MOVE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. v.everts@acta.nl

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|December 2, 2011

Summary

This chapter details processing mineralized tissues for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Procedures cover fixation, embedding, and staining for analyzing bone explants and other hard tissues.

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Methods to Enable Spatial Transcriptomics of Bone Tissues

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Published on: May 3, 2024

Area of Science:

Biomineralization research
Materials science
Cell biology

Background:

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) requires specialized sample preparation techniques.
Mineralized tissues present unique challenges for ultrastructural analysis due to their high mineral content.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide comprehensive protocols for preparing diverse mineralized tissues for TEM.
To outline methods for fixation, resin embedding, and staining of semi-thin and ultrathin sections.
To specifically address the processing of cultured bone explants for high-resolution imaging.

Main Methods:

Detailed protocols for chemical fixation of mineralized samples.
Step-by-step guidance on resin embedding techniques suitable for hard tissues.
Methods for staining semi-thin and ultrathin sections to enhance contrast for TEM.
Specific considerations for preparing cultured bone explants.

Main Results:

Successfully processed various mineralized tissues from different sources for TEM.
Demonstrated effective fixation, embedding, and staining procedures.
Obtained high-quality ultrastructural images of mineralized tissue components and cellular structures.

Conclusions:

Standardized protocols enable reliable TEM analysis of mineralized tissues.
The described methods facilitate detailed ultrastructural investigation of bone and other mineralized samples.
This chapter serves as a valuable resource for researchers utilizing TEM in biomineralization and related fields.