Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

14.6K
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.
14.6K
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

5.5K
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...
5.5K
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

7.2K
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...
7.2K
Immunogold Electron Microscopy01:20

Immunogold Electron Microscopy

5.5K
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.
5.5K
Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

4.3K
Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
4.3K
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

7.2K
To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
7.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[Interaction between Corticocortical and Thalamic Inputs in the Frontal Cortex Underlying Executive Function].

Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyu no shinpo·2026
Same author

Understanding autistic identity contingencies: The chain mediation effect of autism acceptance and loneliness in ableist microaggressions and social camouflage.

Autism : the international journal of research and practice·2025
Same author

Diversity in Whisking-Related Dynamics of Layer 5 Neurons in the Motor Cortex.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Projections from Regions of the Cerebellar Nuclei Receiving Jaw Muscle Proprioceptive Signals to Trigeminal Motoneurons and Their Premotoneurons in the Rat Pons and Medulla.

Cerebellum (London, England)·2025
Same author

A wide variety of techniques for a volume electron microscopy.

Microscopy (Oxford, England)·2025
Same author

Editorial: Spatio-temporal molecular mechanisms regulating synapse function and neural circuit dynamics.

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Imaging by Correlative Light and Volume Electron Microscopy
09:21

Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Imaging by Correlative Light and Volume Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2019

13.9K

Large Volume Electron Microscopy and Neural Microcircuit Analysis.

Yoshiyuki Kubota1,2, Jaerin Sohn1,3, Yasuo Kawaguchi1,2

  • 1Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Okazaki, Japan.

Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|November 29, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

New electron microscopy techniques enable detailed 3D reconstructions of neural circuits. This microcircuit analysis advances our understanding of the brain's functional architecture.

Keywords:
ATUMFIB-SEMSBEMcarbon nanotubeconnectomesegmentationsynapsevolume electron microscopy

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Retinal Neuroscience Studies with Volume Electron Microscopy
03:48

Author Spotlight: Retinal Neuroscience Studies with Volume Electron Microscopy

Published on: May 24, 2024

1.0K
Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:47

Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 9, 2016

14.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Imaging by Correlative Light and Volume Electron Microscopy
09:21

Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Imaging by Correlative Light and Volume Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2019

13.9K
Author Spotlight: Retinal Neuroscience Studies with Volume Electron Microscopy
03:48

Author Spotlight: Retinal Neuroscience Studies with Volume Electron Microscopy

Published on: May 24, 2024

1.0K
Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:47

Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 9, 2016

14.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Microcircuit analysis is crucial for understanding brain function.
  • Traditional methods are limited in scale and resolution.
  • Advancements in electron microscopy are enabling larger-scale neural circuit reconstruction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight recent technical innovations in neuroscience for microcircuit analysis.
  • To discuss the application of large-volume electron microscopy datasets.
  • To emphasize the potential of these techniques for understanding brain architecture.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing advanced electron microscopy systems: automated tape-collecting ultramicrotomy with scanning EM (ATUM-SEM), serial block-face EM (SBEM), and focused ion beam-SEM (FIB-SEM).
  • Developing computer applications for registration and segmentation of large-volume electron microscopy datasets.
  • Generating three-dimensional reconstructions of neural elements from large datasets.

Main Results:

  • Acquisition of large-scale datasets using newly-developed electron microscope systems.
  • Ongoing development of computational tools for efficient analysis of serial electron micrographs.
  • Enabling thorough and efficient analysis of large-volume EM data.

Conclusions:

  • Recent technical innovations in neuroscience facilitate microcircuit analysis.
  • Large-volume electron microscopy and associated computational tools are key to innovative research.
  • These techniques significantly enhance our understanding of the brain's functional architecture.