Micrographs are high-resolution images taken with a camera attached to a microscope. They can show details at the nanoscale and are used in medical research, botany, and forensic science. Different types of microscopes produce different types of micrographs, and cameras can be set up to capture a series of images over time. Micrographs are essential for scientists working at the cellular and subcellular level.
A micrograph is an image taken with a camera attached to a microscope or other magnifying technology. Micrographs can show distinct detail at the nanoscale, meaning even the organelles of a cell can be captured with high clarity. It is also known as photomicrograph.
The development of a micrograph is credited to Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, in the early 1900s. To create a micrograph, a camera must be attached to the microscope. Many modern microscopes are designed with a specific port for a camera, although a camera can also be placed where a microscope’s eyepiece is usually attached. After the camera is in position, the specimen is placed on the microscope stage as usual and magnified images can be acquired.
There are different types of micrographs produced by different types of microscopes. The traditional microscope that uses light from light bulbs or lasers to illuminate the sample creates images called light micrographs. Many cameras on microscopes are connected directly to a computer so images can be stored and analyzed electronically. Another type is electron micrography, produced by a scanning electron microscope.
In addition to simply capturing a single moment, cameras that capture micrographs can be set up to capture a series of images over time, called time-lapse imaging, to show how a sample changes over the course of minutes or hours. The cameras can also be calibrated to automatically take photos in different locations. This will report how different samples on different spots on the slide or petri dish are reacting to a given stimulus.
Micrographs are essential for scientists who are working on experiments at the cellular and subcellular level. A camera can capture a micrograph of a relatively large object, such as an entire slice of mouse brain, as well as a very small object, such as a single mitochondrion within a cell. How detailed the image is directly depends on the level of magnification of the microscope lenses. Depending on the type of camera, images may be black and white or color. Some cameras are capable of detecting non-visible wavelengths and can create micrographs of samples in the ultraviolet and infrared ranges.
Micrographs are used in the fields of medical research, botany and biology. In addition to academic fields of study, micrographs are often used in forensic science. The images can be used in court cases as evidence of traces found, for example, at a crime scene or on a suspicious weapon.
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