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Chapter 2. Microscopy
Chapter 2 Outline
Introduction
Using the metric system to express the sizes of Microorganisms Microscopes
Simple microscopes
Compound microscopes Electron microscopes
Microscopes
The human eye, a telescope, a pair of binoculars, a magnifying glass and a microscope are various types of optical instruments. A microscope is an optical instrument that is used to observe tiny objects; those that cannot be seen with the unaided human eye.
Simple Microscopes
A simple microscope is one that contains only one magnifying lens. A magnifying glass could be considered a simple microscope. With a magnifying glass, images appear 3-20 times larger than the objects actual size. Leeuwenhoeks simple microscopes had a maximum magnifying power of about 300X or 300 times.
Early Microscopes
Compound Microscopes
A compound microscope contains more than one magnifying lens. Because visible light is the source of illumination, the compound microscope is also referred to as a compound light microscope . Compound light microscopes usually magnify objects about 1000 times!
Photographs taken through the lens system of a compound microscope are called photomicrographs.
If the condenser is replaced with what is known as a darkfield condenser, illuminated objects are seen against a dark background or dark field; the microscope is now a darkfield microscope. Other types of microscopes include:
Phase contrast microscopes Fluorescence microscopes
Electron Microscopes
Electron microscopes enable us to see extremely small infectious agents such as rabies and smallpox viruses.
Living organisms cannot be seen with an electron microscope the processing procedures kill the organisms.
An electron beam is used as a source of illumination and magnets are used to focus the beam. Electron microscopes have a much higher resolving power than the compound light microscope. There are 2 types of electron microscopes - transmission and scanning.
S. aureus
Scanning electron microscopy reveals the corkscrew shape of the spirochete, Treponema pallidum; note the illusion of depth.