microscopy
Studying the minuscule
Microscopy is the use of microscopes to examine objects too small to see with the naked eye.
The term covers various techniques—light microscopy, electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy—each suited to different scales and purposes.
The lab specializes in electron microscopy of cell structures.
A person who practices microscopy is a microscopist.
Purpose or goal
- eyepieceLens you look through
- ocularOf the organ of sight
- lensLight-focusing curved glass
- stageRaised performance platform
condenser · diaphragm · illuminator · binocular · monocular · electron · confocal · fluorescence
Basic biological units
- tissueDisposable soft paper
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- organellesSpecialized cell subunits
- chromosomesGene-bearing nuclear structures
mitochondria · nuclei · fibers · crystals · pollen · diatoms · blood smear · thin section
Study of tissue structure
- cytologyStudy of cells
- pathologyStudy of disease processes
- microbiologyStudy of microscopic life
- nanotechnologyAtomic-scale manipulation science
neuroscience · materials science · metallurgy · crystallography · cell biology · forensics · semiconductor · quality control
Degree of visual enlargement
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- nanoscaleBillionth-meter dimension
- subcellularSmaller than cells
- ultrastructureMicroscopic cellular organization
nanostructure · macroscopic · micron · nanometer · angstrom · high-power · low-power · thousandfold
Attentive watching or remark
- visualizationForming mental or graphical images
- detectionAct of finding something
- identificationEstablishing who someone is
- analysisMethodical study of parts
examination · investigation · imaging · revealing · characterization · morphology · structure · insight
Applying dye or pigment
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- sectioningDividing into segments
- mountingSteadily increasing in degree
- time-lapseFilming at intervals, playing fast
Shared seating surface
- slidesMoves smoothly across surface
- petri dishLidded laboratory culture container
- pipettesLiquid-measuring lab tubes
- sterileFree from microorganisms
technician · samples · stains · gloves · labcoat · incubator · preparation · fixatives
objective
Purpose or goal
stage · condenser · diaphragm · illuminator · binocular · monocular · electron · confocal · fluorescence · polarizing
cells
Basic biological units
- tissueDisposable soft paper
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- organellesSpecialized cell subunits
chromosomes · mitochondria · nuclei · fibers · crystals · pollen · diatoms · blood smear · thin section · histological
histology
Study of tissue structure
- cytologyStudy of cells
- pathologyStudy of disease processes
- microbiologyStudy of microscopic life
nanotechnology · neuroscience · materials science · metallurgy · crystallography · cell biology · forensics · semiconductor · quality control
magnification
Degree of visual enlargement
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- nanoscaleBillionth-meter dimension
- subcellularSmaller than cells
ultrastructure · nanostructure · macroscopic · micron · nanometer · angstrom · high-power · low-power · thousandfold
observation
Attentive watching or remark
- visualizationForming mental or graphical images
- detectionAct of finding something
- identificationEstablishing who someone is
analysis · examination · investigation · imaging · revealing · characterization · morphology · structure · insight · findings
staining
Applying dye or pigment
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- sectioningDividing into segments
- mountingSteadily increasing in degree
bench
Shared seating surface
- slidesMoves smoothly across surface
- petri dishLidded laboratory culture container
- pipettesLiquid-measuring lab tubes
sterile · technician · samples · stains · gloves · labcoat · incubator · preparation · fixatives · embedding
- lab educationlab work, hands-on learning, experiments, lab reports, lab notebooks
- pathologycancer, disease, infection, tumor, lesion
- Archaeometrychemical analysis, dating methods, lab analysis, spectroscopy, carbon dating
- Biophotonicsbioluminescence, PDT, light scattering, spectroscopy, quantum dots
- cell techniquescell culture, cell lysis, FACS, staining, transfection
- Lab MethodsPCR, mass spectrometry, chromatography, electrophysiology, spectroscopy
microscopyastronomy
Science of celestial objects
cosmology · satellite imaging · aerial observation · gross examination · astrophotography
- under the microscopeBeing closely examined
- under a microscope
- microscope slideGlass rectangle for magnification
- electron microscopeInstrument magnifying via charged particles
- light microscopeMagnifier using lenses and illumination
- microscopic creatures