Abstract
A characteristic of an electron microscope is its resolving power, which can be determined in different ways. The resolution in a biological specimen observed under normal conditions is rarely better than 2 nm and, in most cases, is far worse. Only in very regular specimens, for example, highly ordered protein crystals, in particular, if observed at low temperatures with cryoelectron microscopy, is it possible to achieve better resolutions. Therefore, a distinction should be made between the resolving powers of the instrument and the image resolution, which defines the finest detail that can be resolved in any given image. The high resolving power of a transmission electron microscope used in biological research is often irrelevant for the biologists performing studies of sectioned material. The complexity of the electron microscope leaves open the possibility of erroneous or suboptimal use of the instrument. The most important are the errors in focusing, alignment of the electron lens system, and correction of astigmatism. The image quality is also dependent on the contamination level and radiation damage in the microscope and can, at least in part, be influenced by the operator.
Published Version
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