What are the differences between super resolution and electron microscopy?
Posted December 7, 2023
Basis of differentiation |
Super resolution microscopy |
Electron microscopy |
Definition |
Is any type of microscopy which suprasses the resolution limit of typical light microscopy by at least a factor of two. |
Is a microscope which uses accelerated beams of electrons (through electromagnetic lenses) |
Resolution |
Typically from 10-250 nm |
0.2 nm |
Mechanism |
Uses different methods such as STED, SIM, PALM to surpass the diffraction limit of light |
Uses beams of electrons to generate images |
Field of view |
In general has a comparatively larger field of view |
Has a comparatively lower field of view |
Speed |
Imaging is typically fast (35 milliseconds in STED microscopy) |
Takes longer due to sample preparation |
Sample preparation |
Is used in live-cell imaging and requires specialized fluorescent tags or dyes |
Only dead and dried samples can be seen (requires sample fixation) |