The topic of today’s study was Seeing the Invisible. During the first lecture, many subjects were covered including the many dimensions, the different types of microscopes, and the introduction to Nanoscience/Nanotechnology. At the beginning of the instruction, we were taught how visualization, on the nano-scale, helps develop views both artistically and scientifically.
Unlike light microscopes, Electron microscopes provide a more detailed and magnified view of a specimen. Though these microscopes produce a black and white image of the sample, they can also provide an image that not only shows the outside of the cell, but can also probe deeper into the cell. This improved piece of technology was a breakthrough that helped to improve many situations both medically and technologically.
Also, the Atomic force microscope, which is made up of a sharp tip that is balanced with gravity and van der waals force, can be used to determine the structure of a substance. We were taken to different labs to view these microscopes and we were shown how electron microscopes need to have frozen specimens in order to be viewable. Each large, expensive, complex, microscope stood looming over all of us but then we moved on to the other lab where smaller microscopes stood and we were shown a variety of different particles.
These microscopes artificially colored the specimens in order for them to be more visible, adding an exciting touch to the objects.
http://www.nanoscience.com/education/AFM.html
http://www.itg.uiuc.edu/ms/equipment/microscopes/afm.htm
http://www.unl.edu/CMRAcfem/em.htm
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/microscopes/tem/index.html