Name : _______________________ Chapter 2 – Structure of Cells and Organelles date : _________

Electron Microscope & Light Microscope

1 The diagram shows the inside of a transmission electron microscope. Name the labelled parts.
. (4marks)

A: electromagnetic lenses; B: specimen; C: source of electrons; D: fluorescent screen.

2 (a) Explain why living specimens cannot be viewed using this microscope. (2 marks)
The specimen must be impregnated with heavy metals and placed in a vacuum to be
viewed, which it would not survive.

(b) Fill in the gaps using words from the list. (10 marks)

A: fewer; B: dark; C: resolution; D: electron dense; E: electro-magnetic lenses;

F: fluorescence; G: electrons; H: specimen; I: fluorescent screen; J: copper grid.

vi) Electron dense

i) Copper grid vii) Dark
ii) Electrons viii) Fewer
iii) Electromagnets lenses ix) Fluorescence
iv) Specimen x) Resolution
v) Fluorescent screen

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3 The diagram illustrates the parts of a scanning electron microscope.

What is the role of the following parts? (4 marks)

(i) The scanning coils
These move the beam of electrons back and forth across the surface of the specimen.

(ii) The magnetic lenses

These focus the beam of electrons onto the specimen.

(iii) The electron detector

The electron detector collects electrons scattered after colliding with the specimen surface and
transmits this data to the computer that uses it to create the image.

(iv) The monitor

The monitor displays the image of the scanned object.

(b) Explain why it is not necessary to section the specimens very finely when using this microscope. (2 marks)
The scanning electron microscope does not involve the transmission of light or electrons
through the specimen so the specimens do not have to be thin.

4 The diagram shows a section through a light microscope. Name the labelled parts. (4 marks)

A: eyepiece lenses; B: specimen; C: objective lenses; D: condenser lens.

5 (a) The specimen is magnified by the lenses. The magnifying power of the objective lenses
times that of the eyepiece lenses gives overall magnification. A specimen was magnified
600X using a 10X eyepiece lens. What is the magnifying power of the objective used?
(2 marks)

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 Magnifying power of objective = 600X/10X
= 60X

(b) Living and non-living specimens can be viewed using the light microscope. Why must
they be very thin? (1 mark)

To form an image in the eye and the light must pass right through the specimen
so it has to be very thin.

(c) What is the purpose of staining the specimen with dyes? (1mark)
This produces coloured images

6 Explain briefly how an image of cell ultrastructure is formed by the transmission

(a) electron Microscope. (5marks)
P1 In transmission electron microscope (TEM), a beam of electrons is passed through 1
thin sections of embedded material in a vacuum.
P2 The beam is directed onto a screen where electron micrographs of the ultrastructure 1
of the cell are taken.
P3 The electrons are absorbed by the dense parts of the material, and the image appears 1
dark.
P4 If the electrons pass through the material, the image appears bright. In scanning 1
electron microscope (SEM), a fine beam of electrons is passed through the material.
P5 This scatters many electrons while absorbing others. 1
P6 The scattered electrons are amplified and projected onto a screen which show images 1
of the material.

(b) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of transmission electron microscope

compared to light microscopy. (10 marks)

Transmission electron microscope (TEM)

Advantages:
A1 It is able to magnify objects over 500 000 times. 1
A2 It has a high resolution due to the use of a beam of electrons that have shorter 1
wavelength and are easily focused with an electromagnet.
A3 Hence, this makes a greater depth of field possible. 1

Disadvantages:
D1 It is bulky. 1
D2 It is expensive. 1
D3 It requires special expertise to operate, as the material preparation is complex. 1
D4 Only non-living materials can be observed. 1
D5 All the images produced are black and white. 1
D6 It is affected by magnetic fields. 1

Light microscope
Advantages:
A1 Light microscope is small in size, making it easily portable. 1
A2 It is inexpensive. 1
A3 The material preparation is simple and does not require much expertise. 1

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 A4 This microscope allows the natural colour of the material to be observed. 1
A5 Magnetic fields do not affect it. 1
A6 Living materials can be observed. 1

Disadvantages:
D1 It can only magnify objects up to 2000 times. 1
D2 It has low resolution due to the use of light, which has longer wavelengths. 1
D3 It has a more restricted depth of field. 1

7 Fill in the blanks for the following table to compares the use of three different types of microscope.

Light microscope Transmission electron Scanning electron

microscope microscope
a Source of Light Electrons Electrons
) radiation
b Wavelength 400-700 nm 0.0005 nm 0.0005nm
)
c) Type of Living or non-living, Non-living, mounted on no-living, mounted on a
specimen mounted on glass copper grid in vacuum metal button at the base of
the microscope, in a
vacuum
d Preparation of Sectioned with Sectional with glass ultra- Sprayed with conductive
) specimen steel microtome material, for example, gold
microtome
e Method of Glass lenses Electromagnetic Electromagnetic lenses
) focusing

f) Resolution 200 nm 1.0nm 10nm

g Magnification 1500X 250,000X 100,000X

)
h Image coloured image formed Formed on fluorescent Black and white image
) in the eye screen, photographed to formed on monitor screen
give black and white image

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