Question

An advantage of light microscopes compared to electron microscopes is that light microscopes _____.

A.) allow you to view the surface of cells in greater detail than electron microscopes.
B.) have a higher magnification capability because they use natural light.
C.) allow you to view living cells, while electron microscopes do not.
D.) have a greater resolution available because they use white light.

Answer 1

C is the correct answer because electron microscopes can’t be used to view living specimens because the methods used to prepare them for viewing kills cells.

Answer 2

C is the correct answer. Electron microscopes require a vacuum to work, so living cells cannot be seen because they cannot respire. Light microscopes use a ray of visible light instead of a beam of electrons to magnify something so it can be seen by the naked eye. There are two different types of electron microscope: transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM).