electron microscopes

electron microscope

A device that uses electrons instead of light to form images of very small objects, such as individual parts of small living things.

Main Entry: electron microscope
Function: noun
: an electron-optical instrument in which a beam of electrons focused by means of an electron lens is used to produce anenlarged image of a minute object on a fluorescent screen or photographic plate —electron microscopist noun —electron microscopy noun

electron microscope n.
Abbr. EM
Any of a class of microscopes that use electrons rather than visible light to produce magnified images, especially of objects having dimensions smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, with linear magnification approaching or exceeding one million (10⁶).

electron microscope   A microscope that produces images of extremely small objects by using beams of electrons rather than visible light. Since electrons have a much shorter wavelength than light, the use of electron beams rather than light beams can resolve much finer structural details in the sample. Electrons are beamed at the sample and focused by magnets; a detector then converts the refracted or reflected beams into a black and white image. Powerful electron microscopes can create accurate images of objects as small as individual molecules. See also scanning electron microscope.