[Significance of recent morphologic investigative methods in legal medicine]

This paper reports on the development, technical improvements, and problems occurring in the application of new morphological techniques--mainly electron microscopy (SEM and TEM)--in legal medicine. By means of examples, preparation techniques are explained with regard to the problems involved and artifact interference caused by unsuitable preparations. The increasing automatization of sample preparation and examination and the progress in microelectronics have together brought about a reduction in personnel costs and increased efficiency of the instruments, as well as a reduction in prices. The question of costs is discussed. Anyone using these techniques must have considerable experience.