Scattered electrons in microscopy and microanalysis

Journal Article · Thu Jan 28 23:00:00 EST 1982 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7054874· OSTI ID:5679046

Ottensmeyer, F P

The use of scattered electrons alone for direct imaging of biological specimens makes it possible to obtain structural information at atomic and near-atomic spatial resolutions of 0.3 to 0.5 nanometer. While this is not as good as the resolution possible with x-ray crystallography, such an approach provides structural information rapidly on individual macromolecules that have not been, and possibly cannot be, crystallized. Analysis of the spectrum of energies of scattered electrons and imaging of the latter with characteristic energy bands within the spectrum produce a powerful new technique of atomic microanalysis. This technique, which has a spatial resolution of about 0.5 nanometer and a minimum detection sensitivity of about 50 atoms of phosphorus, is especially useful for light atom analysis and appears to have applications in molecular biology, cell biology, histology, pathology, botany, and many other fields.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5679046
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 215:4532; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550800* -- Morphology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGY
BOTANY
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HISTOLOGY
IMAGES
LEPTONS
MATERIALS
MICROANALYSIS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
PATHOLOGY
RESOLUTION
SCATTERING
SENSITIVITY
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
USES