Advanced Microscopy & Imaging Center : Transmission Electron Microscope

Transmission electron microscopy is similar to optical microscopy, except that the photons are replaced by electrons. Since electrons have a much smaller wavelength than photons, the diffraction barrier is less of an issue and much higher resolution can be achieved. By propelling electrons at a thin sample, and detecting those transmitted through it, one is able to obtain a map of the local densities of the sample, as well as diffraction information when there are ordered structures such as crystals involved.

Advantages

• Provides information on crystaline structures, as well as density maps
• The resolution continues to drop as the instrument is improved
• Theoretically, subatomic resolution should be ultimately possible.

Immunogold electron microscopic localization of centrobin on the daughter centrioles. 10-nm gold particles were detected on daughter centrioles (D) but not on mother centrioles (M).