These electron microscope images show what life is like in the invisible world of viruses, bacteria, and pollen — and it’s both surreal and spooky.
The microscopic world is an endlessly fascinating place, and thanks to technological advances over the last 90 years, we can now see things at incredibly high magnification through these electron microscope photos.
Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) show us the invisible world of microorganisms by combining a variety of signals that are then scanned through a focused beam of high-energy electrons spread across a specimen. The electrons scatter, and the microscope uses this scattering to recreate an image.
Such electron interactions give us information like topography, texture, chemical composition, and the orientation of those materials within the sample.
Combining these informational signals into one image provides a somewhat two-dimensional, black and white photo; sometimes artificially colorized. The magnification can range from 10x – 300,000x, with some microscopes even scanning up to 500,000x.
Electron microscopes are widely used in science and engineering, and the range of different techniques its users can employ is extremely versatile. In addition, SEMs have made possible nearly all recent advances in the material science industries — from aerospace and chemistry to electronics and energy usage.
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1 of 45Silk moth caterpillar at 31:1 magnification.Science Source 2 of 45Pollen from a variety of common plants, colorized and magnified 500x.Flickr 3 of 45A yellow mite.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 45The tip of a screw worm fly larva. Wikimedia Commons 5 of 45An image of an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf, which is used as a model organism in plant biology research — and was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 45A closeup on a bee antenna.Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr 7 of 45A thin section of a macrophage blood cell in a mouse’s lung. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances.Dartmouth.edu 8 of 45A tardigrade, or water bear, which is widely considered the hardiest life form on the planet.Imgur 9 of 45Another shot of the macrophage in a mouse lung infected with mold spores. Dartmouth.edu 10 of 45A white blood cell attacking the bacteria MRSA.NIH/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45The leg of a fly. Wikimedia Commons 12 of 45Microscopic larva head. Wikimedia Commons 13 of 45Inner structure of a fly’s eye. Wikimedia Commons 14 of 45The fibers lining the inside of an acorn shell to 300x magnification. Wikimedia Commons
15 of 45Closeup on the mouth of a hydrothermal worm.Photo Science Library/Twitter 16 of 45Details on the skin of a cuttlefish. Flickr 17 of 45Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, on the spines of a flea. Wikimedia Commons 18 of 45Pictured is an up-close and personal shot of a bed bug.Centers for Disease control, via Wikimedia Commons
19 of 45Dandelion puff ball, 146x magnification. Flickr
20 of 45The algae Gephyrocapsa oceanica.Wikimedia Commons
21 of 45Eupolybothrus cavernicolus is a species of centipede found only in two caves near the village of Kistanje, in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Pictured is its genitalia.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45The egg-laying apparatus of a fruit fly. Wikimedia Commons
23 of 45Fruit fly eye. Wikimedia Commons
24 of 45Just-divided HeLa cells. These are a kind of durable, prolific cell controversially obtained during the treatment of Henrietta Lacks for cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951. Wikimedia Commons
25 of 45Human red blood cells and a lymphocyte.
Dartmouth.edu
26 of 45The maggot or larva of a bluebottle fly.Eye of Science/SPL/Barcroft Media
27 of 45Scanning electron microscope image of a lace bug.
Wikimedia Commons
28 of 45Foraminifera, pictured here, are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have a fossil record that spans the last 500 million years. Each foram is just a single cell, yet they build complex shells around themselves from seawater minerals and accumulate in layers of sediment below the seafloor.Wikimedia Commons
29 of 45More MRSA cells and a dead white blood cell once belonging to a human.Wikimedia Commons
30 of 45Bees don’t have actual eyelids, but this is where the eye meets the skin on a European bee — at 2,856x magnification.
Flickr
31 of 45Black Oxode Nanoflower. A nanoflower is a compound of certain elements that result in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers.
Wikimedia Commons
32 of 45Flat stellar plates of fresh snow.
Dartmouth.edu
33 of 45A cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.
Wikimedia Commons
34 of 45A grain of pollen from morning glory flowers.
Dartmouth.edu
35 of 45High magnification image showing pollen inside the cavity where pollen is stored in flowers.Dartmouth.edu
36 of 45Passionvine, peace lily, and daisy pollen specimens. Wikimedia Commons
37 of 45Pollen from primrose. Wikimedia Commons
38 of 45The profile of a moth. Wikimedia Commons 39 of 45Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. Wikimedia Commons
40 of 45A salt crystal. Flickr 41 of 45New growth of a sand dollar at a magnification of 4,348x. Flickr 42 of 45SEM image of a shining flower beetle.Wikimedia Commons
43 of 45Colorized electron microscope image of a stoma — the pore where gases are exchanged — on the leaf of a tomato plant. Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45Claws of a leaf beetle. Wikimedia Commons 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope View Gallery
Inside The History Of The Scanning Electron Microscope
Since its invention in 1931 and the launch of its commercial availability in 1965, SEM technology has become a staple of academic research.
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The Mind-Blowing Mount Roraima In 22 Photos
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1 of 45Silk moth caterpillar at 31:1 magnification.Science Source 2 of 45Pollen from a variety of common plants, colorized and magnified 500x.Flickr 3 of 45A yellow mite.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 45The tip of a screw worm fly larva. Wikimedia Commons 5 of 45An image of an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf, which is used as a model organism in plant biology research — and was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 45A closeup on a bee antenna.Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr 7 of 45A thin section of a macrophage blood cell in a mouse’s lung. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances.Dartmouth.edu 8 of 45A tardigrade, or water bear, which is widely considered the hardiest life form on the planet.Imgur 9 of 45Another shot of the macrophage in a mouse lung infected with mold spores. Dartmouth.edu 10 of 45A white blood cell attacking the bacteria MRSA.NIH/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45The leg of a fly. Wikimedia Commons 12 of 45Microscopic larva head. Wikimedia Commons 13 of 45Inner structure of a fly’s eye. Wikimedia Commons 14 of 45The fibers lining the inside of an acorn shell to 300x magnification. Wikimedia Commons
15 of 45Closeup on the mouth of a hydrothermal worm.Photo Science Library/Twitter 16 of 45Details on the skin of a cuttlefish. Flickr 17 of 45Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, on the spines of a flea. Wikimedia Commons 18 of 45Pictured is an up-close and personal shot of a bed bug.Centers for Disease control, via Wikimedia Commons
19 of 45Dandelion puff ball, 146x magnification. Flickr
20 of 45The algae Gephyrocapsa oceanica.Wikimedia Commons
21 of 45Eupolybothrus cavernicolus is a species of centipede found only in two caves near the village of Kistanje, in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Pictured is its genitalia.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45The egg-laying apparatus of a fruit fly. Wikimedia Commons
23 of 45Fruit fly eye. Wikimedia Commons
24 of 45Just-divided HeLa cells. These are a kind of durable, prolific cell controversially obtained during the treatment of Henrietta Lacks for cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951. Wikimedia Commons
25 of 45Human red blood cells and a lymphocyte.
Dartmouth.edu
26 of 45The maggot or larva of a bluebottle fly.Eye of Science/SPL/Barcroft Media
27 of 45Scanning electron microscope image of a lace bug.
Wikimedia Commons
28 of 45Foraminifera, pictured here, are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have a fossil record that spans the last 500 million years. Each foram is just a single cell, yet they build complex shells around themselves from seawater minerals and accumulate in layers of sediment below the seafloor.Wikimedia Commons
29 of 45More MRSA cells and a dead white blood cell once belonging to a human.Wikimedia Commons
30 of 45Bees don’t have actual eyelids, but this is where the eye meets the skin on a European bee — at 2,856x magnification.
Flickr
31 of 45Black Oxode Nanoflower. A nanoflower is a compound of certain elements that result in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers.
Wikimedia Commons
32 of 45Flat stellar plates of fresh snow.
Dartmouth.edu
33 of 45A cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.
Wikimedia Commons
34 of 45A grain of pollen from morning glory flowers.
Dartmouth.edu
35 of 45High magnification image showing pollen inside the cavity where pollen is stored in flowers.Dartmouth.edu
36 of 45Passionvine, peace lily, and daisy pollen specimens. Wikimedia Commons
37 of 45Pollen from primrose. Wikimedia Commons
38 of 45The profile of a moth. Wikimedia Commons 39 of 45Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. Wikimedia Commons
40 of 45A salt crystal. Flickr 41 of 45New growth of a sand dollar at a magnification of 4,348x. Flickr 42 of 45SEM image of a shining flower beetle.Wikimedia Commons
43 of 45Colorized electron microscope image of a stoma — the pore where gases are exchanged — on the leaf of a tomato plant. Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45Claws of a leaf beetle. Wikimedia Commons 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
The Mind-Blowing Mount Roraima In 22 Photos
23 Mind-Blowing Photos Of Lake Baikal, The World’s Deepest And Oldest Freshwater Lake
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1 of 45Silk moth caterpillar at 31:1 magnification.Science Source 2 of 45Pollen from a variety of common plants, colorized and magnified 500x.Flickr 3 of 45A yellow mite.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 45The tip of a screw worm fly larva. Wikimedia Commons 5 of 45An image of an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf, which is used as a model organism in plant biology research — and was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 45A closeup on a bee antenna.Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr 7 of 45A thin section of a macrophage blood cell in a mouse’s lung. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances.Dartmouth.edu 8 of 45A tardigrade, or water bear, which is widely considered the hardiest life form on the planet.Imgur 9 of 45Another shot of the macrophage in a mouse lung infected with mold spores. Dartmouth.edu 10 of 45A white blood cell attacking the bacteria MRSA.NIH/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45The leg of a fly. Wikimedia Commons 12 of 45Microscopic larva head. Wikimedia Commons 13 of 45Inner structure of a fly’s eye. Wikimedia Commons 14 of 45The fibers lining the inside of an acorn shell to 300x magnification. Wikimedia Commons
15 of 45Closeup on the mouth of a hydrothermal worm.Photo Science Library/Twitter 16 of 45Details on the skin of a cuttlefish. Flickr 17 of 45Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, on the spines of a flea. Wikimedia Commons 18 of 45Pictured is an up-close and personal shot of a bed bug.Centers for Disease control, via Wikimedia Commons
19 of 45Dandelion puff ball, 146x magnification. Flickr
20 of 45The algae Gephyrocapsa oceanica.Wikimedia Commons
21 of 45Eupolybothrus cavernicolus is a species of centipede found only in two caves near the village of Kistanje, in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Pictured is its genitalia.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45The egg-laying apparatus of a fruit fly. Wikimedia Commons
23 of 45Fruit fly eye. Wikimedia Commons
24 of 45Just-divided HeLa cells. These are a kind of durable, prolific cell controversially obtained during the treatment of Henrietta Lacks for cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951. Wikimedia Commons
25 of 45Human red blood cells and a lymphocyte.
Dartmouth.edu
26 of 45The maggot or larva of a bluebottle fly.Eye of Science/SPL/Barcroft Media
27 of 45Scanning electron microscope image of a lace bug.
Wikimedia Commons
28 of 45Foraminifera, pictured here, are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have a fossil record that spans the last 500 million years. Each foram is just a single cell, yet they build complex shells around themselves from seawater minerals and accumulate in layers of sediment below the seafloor.Wikimedia Commons
29 of 45More MRSA cells and a dead white blood cell once belonging to a human.Wikimedia Commons
30 of 45Bees don’t have actual eyelids, but this is where the eye meets the skin on a European bee — at 2,856x magnification.
Flickr
31 of 45Black Oxode Nanoflower. A nanoflower is a compound of certain elements that result in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers.
Wikimedia Commons
32 of 45Flat stellar plates of fresh snow.
Dartmouth.edu
33 of 45A cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.
Wikimedia Commons
34 of 45A grain of pollen from morning glory flowers.
Dartmouth.edu
35 of 45High magnification image showing pollen inside the cavity where pollen is stored in flowers.Dartmouth.edu
36 of 45Passionvine, peace lily, and daisy pollen specimens. Wikimedia Commons
37 of 45Pollen from primrose. Wikimedia Commons
38 of 45The profile of a moth. Wikimedia Commons 39 of 45Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. Wikimedia Commons
40 of 45A salt crystal. Flickr 41 of 45New growth of a sand dollar at a magnification of 4,348x. Flickr 42 of 45SEM image of a shining flower beetle.Wikimedia Commons
43 of 45Colorized electron microscope image of a stoma — the pore where gases are exchanged — on the leaf of a tomato plant. Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45Claws of a leaf beetle. Wikimedia Commons 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
The Mind-Blowing Mount Roraima In 22 Photos
23 Mind-Blowing Photos Of Lake Baikal, The World’s Deepest And Oldest Freshwater Lake
25 Of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Most Mind Blowing Tweets
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1 of 45Silk moth caterpillar at 31:1 magnification.Science Source 2 of 45Pollen from a variety of common plants, colorized and magnified 500x.Flickr 3 of 45A yellow mite.Wikimedia Commons 4 of 45The tip of a screw worm fly larva. Wikimedia Commons 5 of 45An image of an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf, which is used as a model organism in plant biology research — and was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.Wikimedia Commons 6 of 45A closeup on a bee antenna.Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr 7 of 45A thin section of a macrophage blood cell in a mouse’s lung. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances.Dartmouth.edu 8 of 45A tardigrade, or water bear, which is widely considered the hardiest life form on the planet.Imgur 9 of 45Another shot of the macrophage in a mouse lung infected with mold spores. Dartmouth.edu 10 of 45A white blood cell attacking the bacteria MRSA.NIH/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45The leg of a fly. Wikimedia Commons 12 of 45Microscopic larva head. Wikimedia Commons 13 of 45Inner structure of a fly’s eye. Wikimedia Commons 14 of 45The fibers lining the inside of an acorn shell to 300x magnification. Wikimedia Commons
15 of 45Closeup on the mouth of a hydrothermal worm.Photo Science Library/Twitter 16 of 45Details on the skin of a cuttlefish. Flickr 17 of 45Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, on the spines of a flea. Wikimedia Commons 18 of 45Pictured is an up-close and personal shot of a bed bug.Centers for Disease control, via Wikimedia Commons
19 of 45Dandelion puff ball, 146x magnification. Flickr
20 of 45The algae Gephyrocapsa oceanica.Wikimedia Commons
21 of 45Eupolybothrus cavernicolus is a species of centipede found only in two caves near the village of Kistanje, in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Pictured is its genitalia.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45The egg-laying apparatus of a fruit fly. Wikimedia Commons
23 of 45Fruit fly eye. Wikimedia Commons
24 of 45Just-divided HeLa cells. These are a kind of durable, prolific cell controversially obtained during the treatment of Henrietta Lacks for cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951. Wikimedia Commons
25 of 45Human red blood cells and a lymphocyte.
Dartmouth.edu
26 of 45The maggot or larva of a bluebottle fly.Eye of Science/SPL/Barcroft Media
27 of 45Scanning electron microscope image of a lace bug.
Wikimedia Commons
28 of 45Foraminifera, pictured here, are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have a fossil record that spans the last 500 million years. Each foram is just a single cell, yet they build complex shells around themselves from seawater minerals and accumulate in layers of sediment below the seafloor.Wikimedia Commons
29 of 45More MRSA cells and a dead white blood cell once belonging to a human.Wikimedia Commons
30 of 45Bees don’t have actual eyelids, but this is where the eye meets the skin on a European bee — at 2,856x magnification.
Flickr
31 of 45Black Oxode Nanoflower. A nanoflower is a compound of certain elements that result in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers.
Wikimedia Commons
32 of 45Flat stellar plates of fresh snow.
Dartmouth.edu
33 of 45A cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.
Wikimedia Commons
34 of 45A grain of pollen from morning glory flowers.
Dartmouth.edu
35 of 45High magnification image showing pollen inside the cavity where pollen is stored in flowers.Dartmouth.edu
36 of 45Passionvine, peace lily, and daisy pollen specimens. Wikimedia Commons
37 of 45Pollen from primrose. Wikimedia Commons
38 of 45The profile of a moth. Wikimedia Commons 39 of 45Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. Wikimedia Commons
40 of 45A salt crystal. Flickr 41 of 45New growth of a sand dollar at a magnification of 4,348x. Flickr 42 of 45SEM image of a shining flower beetle.Wikimedia Commons
43 of 45Colorized electron microscope image of a stoma — the pore where gases are exchanged — on the leaf of a tomato plant. Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45Claws of a leaf beetle. Wikimedia Commons 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
1 of 45Silk moth caterpillar at 31:1 magnification.Science Source
2 of 45Pollen from a variety of common plants, colorized and magnified 500x.Flickr
3 of 45A yellow mite.Wikimedia Commons
4 of 45The tip of a screw worm fly larva. Wikimedia Commons
5 of 45An image of an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf, which is used as a model organism in plant biology research — and was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.Wikimedia Commons
6 of 45A closeup on a bee antenna.Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr
7 of 45A thin section of a macrophage blood cell in a mouse’s lung. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances.Dartmouth.edu
8 of 45A tardigrade, or water bear, which is widely considered the hardiest life form on the planet.Imgur
9 of 45Another shot of the macrophage in a mouse lung infected with mold spores. Dartmouth.edu
10 of 45A white blood cell attacking the bacteria MRSA.NIH/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45The leg of a fly. Wikimedia Commons
12 of 45Microscopic larva head. Wikimedia Commons
13 of 45Inner structure of a fly’s eye. Wikimedia Commons
14 of 45The fibers lining the inside of an acorn shell to 300x magnification. Wikimedia Commons
15 of 45Closeup on the mouth of a hydrothermal worm.Photo Science Library/Twitter
16 of 45Details on the skin of a cuttlefish. Flickr
17 of 45Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, on the spines of a flea. Wikimedia Commons
18 of 45Pictured is an up-close and personal shot of a bed bug.Centers for Disease control, via Wikimedia Commons
19 of 45Dandelion puff ball, 146x magnification. Flickr
20 of 45The algae Gephyrocapsa oceanica.Wikimedia Commons
21 of 45Eupolybothrus cavernicolus is a species of centipede found only in two caves near the village of Kistanje, in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Pictured is its genitalia.Wikimedia Commons
22 of 45The egg-laying apparatus of a fruit fly. Wikimedia Commons
23 of 45Fruit fly eye. Wikimedia Commons
24 of 45Just-divided HeLa cells. These are a kind of durable, prolific cell controversially obtained during the treatment of Henrietta Lacks for cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951. Wikimedia Commons
25 of 45Human red blood cells and a lymphocyte. Dartmouth.edu
26 of 45The maggot or larva of a bluebottle fly.Eye of Science/SPL/Barcroft Media
27 of 45Scanning electron microscope image of a lace bug. Wikimedia Commons
28 of 45Foraminifera, pictured here, are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have a fossil record that spans the last 500 million years. Each foram is just a single cell, yet they build complex shells around themselves from seawater minerals and accumulate in layers of sediment below the seafloor.Wikimedia Commons
29 of 45More MRSA cells and a dead white blood cell once belonging to a human.Wikimedia Commons
30 of 45Bees don’t have actual eyelids, but this is where the eye meets the skin on a European bee — at 2,856x magnification.
Flickr
31 of 45Black Oxode Nanoflower. A nanoflower is a compound of certain elements that result in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers. Wikimedia Commons
32 of 45Flat stellar plates of fresh snow. Dartmouth.edu
33 of 45A cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample. Wikimedia Commons
34 of 45A grain of pollen from morning glory flowers. Dartmouth.edu
35 of 45High magnification image showing pollen inside the cavity where pollen is stored in flowers.Dartmouth.edu
36 of 45Passionvine, peace lily, and daisy pollen specimens. Wikimedia Commons
37 of 45Pollen from primrose. Wikimedia Commons
38 of 45The profile of a moth. Wikimedia Commons
39 of 45Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella Typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells. Wikimedia Commons
40 of 45A salt crystal. Flickr
41 of 45New growth of a sand dollar at a magnification of 4,348x. Flickr
42 of 45SEM image of a shining flower beetle.Wikimedia Commons
43 of 45Colorized electron microscope image of a stoma — the pore where gases are exchanged — on the leaf of a tomato plant. Wikimedia Commons
44 of 45Claws of a leaf beetle. Wikimedia Commons
45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope View Gallery
44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope View Gallery
44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope View Gallery
44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope View Gallery
44 Mind-Blowing Pictures Of Ordinary Creatures Under An Electron Microscope
View Gallery
Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska of the Berlin Technische Hochschule were the first ones to overcome the problem of resolution limits in earlier microscopes. Their earliest prototypes proved that electron beams could be tamed to provide clearer images in a microscope.
Progress in electron lens technology also minimized defects that made for a clearer picture. In turn, this led to greater resolutions. Once the electron technology was in place, electron microscopy would advance through the use of brighter electron guns and improved vacuum systems.
ImgurImages taken with a scanning electron microscope are helping scientists to better understand viruses and diseases. Pictured here, though, is a mite.
Once commercialized, scientists behind the scenes at many household-name companies began tweaking the tech and selling SEMs commercially. RCA was the first in North America to pedal electromagnetic lenses. General Electric tried to compete with them, selling their electrostatic electron microscopes. Philips, Hitachi, and Toshiba also played roles in the development process.
All sorts of electron microscopes hit the market; some for the beginner and others for people with advanced knowledge. The engineers, of course, wanted to achieve the highest resolution possible. But they had to take into account what would sell most readily to the everyday consumer looking for ease of use.
The ultimate goal of this technology was to eventually get to atomic-level resolutions. However, this wouldn’t come to pass until the 1980s.
Why These Innovative Tools Are Useful
In addition to just looking really cool, SEMs are utilized in several industries: medical, industrial, and research — just to name a few. Microchip production relies heavily on scanning electron microscopes, as does semiconductor inspection.
Medical laboratories use electron microscopes to examine both biological and non-biological specimens and to identify new viruses and diseases. Furthermore, SEMs are able to test new vaccines and treatments.
Wikimedia CommonsA sample of microorganisms taken from the Derwent River water in south Australia.
Researchers can even investigate the detailed structures of tissues and cells at this scale, counting individual particles within samples.
SEMs also help identify early human artifacts and assist in dating historic ruins.
This technology is also useful in soil quality control in the areas of farming and agriculture. Electron microscopes identify compositional differences and weathering processes on all kinds of rocks and minerals.
Even the justice system uses data from electron microscope photos in courtrooms. Forensic scientists use SEMs to detect gunshot residue, examine bullet markings, identify paint and fiber composition — even handwriting analysis.
Of course, as is clear by these scanning electron microscope photos, not all uses are strictly practical in nature. Micrographs made by SEMs are sometimes used to make digital artworks. Microscopic materials can become diverse landscapes — both alien or eerily familiar.
After this look at these electron microscope images, check out these 27 jaw-dropping science photos from 2020 that you may have missed. Then, find out how researchers determined the diet of the ancient builders of Stonehenge consisted of parasite-infested meat.
