Choosing a microscope

When planning an experiment with microscopes, you need to think carefully about which microscope to use. It all depends on what you want to learn. What do you want to do?

• Look at organisms, cells or tissues that are currently alive?

• Look at the surface of a living thing?

• Look at whole cells and how they connect in 3D?

• Look at the surface of a sample at high resolution?

• Look at a cross-section of a sample at high resolution?

• Build up a 3D model from the results?

• Avoid removing moisture from the sample?

This interactive takes you through some of the important differences between microscopes.

Download the image as a PDF.