What do electron microscopes allow scientists to do?

Electron microscopes are powerful tools that allow scientists to see much smaller details than light microscopes can provide. This capability is largely due to the use of electrons instead of visible light to create images. The wavelengths of electrons are significantly shorter than those of light, enabling the visualization of structures at the nanoscale.

In particular, electron microscopes excel at revealing the internal structures of organelles within cells, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and other cellular components. This level of detail is crucial for understanding cellular function and the organization of biological systems on a microscopic level. The high resolution provided by electron microscopy makes it possible to study fine structural details that are essential for research in cellular biology, pathology, and various other scientific fields.

While examining large structures like entire tissues might be feasible with some types of imaging, it is the intricate details at the cellular and sub-cellular levels that electron microscopes uniquely visualize. Additionally, they are not designed for real-time examination of biochemical processes nor for visualizing live bacteria under natural conditions, as electron microscopy typically requires samples to be prepared in ways that do not preserve living states.