What is the typical thickness of a tissue section required for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: 40–90 nanometers
TEM requires ultrathin sections because electrons have limited penetrating power. Sections must be approximately 40–90 nm thick to allow the electron beam to pass through the specimen and form an image.
Keep practicing
More Electron Microscopy questions
- Which type of electron microscopy is best suited for viewing the 3D surface morphology of a cell or tissue?
- To prevent scattering of the electron beam by gas molecules, the interior of an electron microscope must be maintained in a:
- In TEM, areas of the specimen that bind heavy metals appear dark on the final image. These areas are described as:
- What device is used to cut the ultrathin sections needed for electron microscopy?
- Which embedding medium is most commonly used for electron microscopy due to its hardness and stability under an electron beam?
- The image in a Transmission Electron Microscope is traditionally projected onto what for real-time viewing?