Electron microscopy, and the size and scale of cells
You can describe the size and scale of cells and cell structures, and explain how electron microscopy has increased our understanding of sub-cellular structures.
Electron microscopy, and the size and scale of cells
You can describe the size and scale of cells and cell structures, and explain how electron microscopy has increased our understanding of sub-cellular structures.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Most cells are too small to be seen without a microscope.
- Comparison of the sizes of cells and cell structures.
- Light microscopes have limited magnification and resolution.
- Electron microscopes have greater magnification and resolution, allowing much smaller structures to be seen clearly.
- Electron microscopy has increased our understanding of sub-cellular structures.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that all cells are approximately the same size.
Calculations in the deck will allow pupils to compare the relative sizes of cells. It might be helpful to draw extra attention to this point.
Keywords
Light microscope - a type of microscope that uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects
Magnification - making small objects appear larger in order to see more detail
Resolution - the minimum distance at which two distinct points of a specimen can still be seen
Electron microscope - a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons instead of light. Electron microscopes have a higher magnification and resolving power than light microscopes
Equipment
calculators
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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