Question

What type of specimens were you able to view under each of the microscopes in the microscope activity? How did the specimen views differ ?

Answer 1

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
TEM is electron illuminated. This gives a 2-D view. Thin slices of specimen are obtained. The electron beams pass through this. It has high magnification and high resolution.
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
SEM use electron illumination. The image is seen in 3-D. It has high magnification and high resolution. The specimen is coated in gold and the electrons bounce off to give you and exterior view of the specimen. The pictures are in black and white.
Confocal Microscope
This microscope uses a laser light. This light is used because of the wavelength. Laser light scan across the specimen with the aid of scanning mirrors. Then image is then placed on a digital computer screen for analyzing
Dissection or Stereoscope
A dissection microscope is light illuminated. The image that appears is three dimensional. It is used for dissection to get a better look at the larger specimen. You cannot see individual cells because it has a low magnification.
Compound
Compound microscopes are light illuminated. The image seen with this type of microscope is two dimensional. This microscope is the most commonly used. You can view individual cells, even living ones. It has high magnification. However, it has a low resolution.