Differences between Light Microscope and Electron Microscope

Last updated: August 10, 2022 by Sagar Aryal

Light Microscope	Electron Microscope
Illuminating source is the Light.	Illuminating source is the beam of electrons.
Specimen preparation takes usually few minutes to hours.	Specimen preparation takes usually takes few days.
Live or Dead specimen may be seen.	Only Dead or Dried specimens are seen.
Condenser, Objective and eye piece lenses are made up of glasses.	All lenses are electromagnetic.
It has low resolving power (0.25µm to 0.3µm).	It has high resolving power (0.001µm), about 250 times higher  than light microscope.
It has a magnification of of 500X to 1500X.	It has a magnification of 100,000X to 300,000X.
The object is 5µm or thicker.	The object is 0.1µm or thinner.
Image is Colored.	Image is Black and White.
Vacuum is not required.	Vacuum is essential for its operation.
There is no need of high voltage electricity.	High voltage electric current is required (50,000 Volts and above).
There is no cooling system.	It has a cooling system to take out heat generated by high electric current.
Filament is not used.	Tungsten filament is used to produce electrons.
Radiation risk is absent.	There is risk of radiation leakage.
Specimen is stained by colored dyes.	Specimen is coated with heavy metals in order to reflect electrons.
Image is seen by eyes through ocular lens.	Image is received in Zinc Sulphate Fluorescent Screen or Photographic Plate.
It is used for the study of detailed gross internal structure.	It is used in the study of external surface, ultra structure of cell and very small organisms.