Differences between compound microscopes and electron microscopes
Every microscope uses some form of magnifying glass. In compound microscopes, these lenses are made of glass, while in electron microscopes, the lenses are electromagnetic. Although the lenses may be made of different materials, they are in roughly the same place in every microscope: bottom and top. The lenses have the same name and perform the same zooming tasks. At the bottom is the condenser and the sample below. The above specimens are all objective lenses. The difference here is a third lens type under the electronics: near the top of the projector lens.
need lighting
Whether one uses it, expensive or flashy, and what type of microscope it might be, they all have one thing in common: the lighting they need to use. For compound microscopes, the illumination is the sample under some form of light. Ambient light does not work well in compound microscopes. The light must be bright, usually provided by a small light bulb. In electron microscopy, illumination is the beam of electrons that pass through the sample.
output area
All microscopes also require a person somewhere to look at the specimen. The output area for both microscopes is located in the same location: top. While one is an eyepiece and the other has a larger phosphor screen, no microscope would be used without any scientific ability to view the results. Depending on the type of microscope used, magnification and resolution, the results may vary slightly, but the output will be in the same area.
Specimen preparation
A microscope is hardly a worthless specimen. The study of cells and microorganisms requires the use of microscopes. Because of this need, specimen preparation generally follows the same procedure. Electron microscopy, although much higher magnification and resolution, is generally best suited for ultrathin sectioning of dead cells. Compound microscopes can also handle dead cells, however, they can also work and live normally.
