Biology A-Level
optical vs electron microscopes
What optical vs electron microscopes means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of optical vs electron microscopes
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Reference: AQA
An optical microscope passes visible light through a specimen using glass lenses and cannot resolve small organelles, whereas electron microscopes use electron beams with much shorter wavelengths for significantly higher resolution.
Topics that use optical vs electron microscopes
- Methods of studying cells (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- acceptance of scientific evidence
- artefact
- calibration
- magnification
- microscopy limitations
- resolution
- specimen preparation
- TEM and SEM principles
Using optical vs electron microscopes in the exam
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