Scattered electrons in microscopy and microanalysis

Journal Article · Fri Jan 29 00:00:00 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), Vol. 215:4532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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