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Radiation damage relative to transmission electron microscopy of biological specimens at low temperature: a review
Author(s) -
Glaeser Robert M.,
Taylor Kenneth A.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1978.tb01160.x
Subject(s) - radiation damage , transmission electron microscopy , electron microscope , biological specimen , irradiation , radiation , ionization , microscopy , materials science , resolution (logic) , electron beam processing , ionizing radiation , chemistry , electron , optics , chemical physics , nanotechnology , physics , ion , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , computer science , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
SUMMARY When biological specimens are irradiated by the electron beam in the electron microscope, the specimen structure is damaged as a result of molecular excitation, ionization, and subsequent chemical reactions. The radiation damage that occurs in the normal process of electron microscopy is known to present severe limitations for imaging high resolution detail in biological specimens. The question of radiation damage at low temperatures has therefore been investigated with the view in mind of reducing somewhat the rate at which damage occurs. The radiation damage protection found for small molecule (anhydrous) organic compounds is generally rather limited or even non‐existent. However, large molecule, hydrated materials show as much as a 10‐fold reduction at low temperature in the rate at which radiation damage occurs, relative to the damage rate at room temperature. In the case of hydrated specimens, therefore, low temperature electron microscopy offers an important advantage as part of the overall effort required in obtaining high resolution images of complex biological structures.