Introductory Microbiology

Microscopes and microscopy

 
• Microscopes are of two categories, light (or optical) and electron, depending upon the principle on which magnifications based. Light microscopy, in which magnification is obtained by a system of optical lenses using light waves, includes

  1) Bright field.
  2) Dark field.
  3) Fluorescence and
  4) Phase-contrast microscopy.

  The electron microscope, as the name suggests, uses a beam of electrons in place of light waves to produce the image. Specimens can be examined by either transmission or scanning electron microscopy.