Microscopy

• What did the first person to look down a microscope at cork observe?

  They observed the building blocks of every organism on the planet.
• What is the main topic discussed in the study material?

  Microscopes
• Why are microscopes considered important for biology?

  They allow for the study of cells and other small structures.
• What is the primary use of microscopes in biology?

  • To study cells
  • To observe small structures
  • To enhance visibility of microscopic organisms
• Why are microscopes important for biology?

  They allow us to see things that are not visible to the naked eye.
• What advancements have occurred in microscopy techniques over the years?

  • Development of technology
  • Improvement in knowledge
  • Enhanced ability to observe cells and structures
• What do light microscopes use to form an image of a specimen?

  Light and lenses.
• How do electron microscopes differ from light microscopes?

  They use electrons instead of light to form an image.
• What does higher resolution in microscopy indicate?

  It allows for a sharper image by distinguishing between two points more effectively.
• What types of structures can electron microscopes reveal in detail?

  Internal structures of mitochondria and chloroplasts, as well as ribosomes and plasmids.
• What is the formula for calculating magnification?

  magnification = image size / real size.
• Why is it important for image size and real size to have the same units?

  To ensure accurate calculations of magnification.
• What should you do if image size and real size are in different units?

  You need to convert them to the same units before calculating magnification.
• If a specimen is 50 µm wide and magnified at ×100, what is the width of the image?

  5000 µm or 5 mm.
• How can you rearrange the magnification formula to find image size or real size?

  • Use the formula triangle method.
  • Cover the variable you want to find.
  • Use the visible parts of the triangle to form the equation.
• How do you convert from micrometres (µm) to millimetres (mm)?

  You divide by 1000.
• What is standard form used for in microscopy?

  To write very big or small numbers in a more manageable way.
• How would you write 0.0025 mm in standard form?

  2.5 × 10⁻³.
• What does the power of 10 represent when converting to standard form?

  It represents how many places the decimal point has moved.