Practical Electron Microscopy

Electron microscopy (EM) is a technique through which high resolution images of biological and non-biological specimens are obtained. Electrons are the primary source of illuminating radiation that provide high resolution images. This technique is applied in biomedical research to examine the detailed structure of tissues, cells, organelles and macromolecular complexes. The two main types of electron microscopes include transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The TEM is used to view thin specimens such as tissue sections and molecules through which electrons can pass, generating a projection image. Common applications of TEM include viewing the interior of cells (in thin sections), the structure of protein molecules (contrasted by metal shadowing), and the arrangement of protein molecules in cell membranes (by freeze-fracture). In SEM, the image is formed by scanning a focused electron beam onto the surface of the specimen in a raster pattern. SEMs with appropriately equipped devices can be used to study the topography and atomic composition of specimens. The book studies, analyzes and presents the recent developments related to electron microscopy and its significance in modern times. Students, researchers, and experts of electron microscopy will likely benefit from this book.