* Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): This type uses a beam of electrons that passes through the sample. The electrons are then focused by magnetic lenses onto a fluorescent screen or photographic plate, creating an image. TEMs can achieve resolutions of up to 0.1 nanometers, allowing for incredibly detailed images of the internal structures of cells and other small objects.
* Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): This type uses a focused beam of electrons to scan the surface of the sample. The electrons interact with the sample, producing signals that are used to create an image. SEMs provide detailed three-dimensional images of the surface of objects, and they can be used to examine a wide range of materials, from metals to biological samples.
Light microscopes, which use visible light to illuminate the sample, are limited in their magnification. Even the most powerful light microscopes can only magnify objects up to about 2,000 times.
Therefore, only electron microscopes can achieve magnifications of 100,000 times or more.
