Author
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WERGIN, WILLIAM |
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Submitted to: Scanning
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Progress on many research problems in agriculture has been obstructed by the limits of the light microscope, which can only provide useful information at magnifications up to about 1,200 times. In the mid 1960s, a new type of microscope called a scanning electron microscope (SEM) became available and allowed scientists to re-examine many of agriculture's persistent problems. This manuscript is a review that traces the evolution of the SEM and its agricultural applications. This instrument once could be used at magnifications up to 20,000 times to examine the surface features of samples. During the last 30 years, improvements in this instrument and in the preparation of samples now allow scientists to observe the surfaces as well as the internal structures of samples at magnifications up to 200,000 times. Furthermore, modern instruments also provide information about the chemical make-up of specimens. These modern instruments have been used to describe new organisms and to study viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases that affect plants and animals. As a result, the modern SEM is now used by scientists to study a wide range of agriculturally important problems ranging from virology to veterinary medicine and from taxonomy to molecular biology as well as food sciences, human nutrition and agricultural engineering. Technical Abstract: Agriculture and scanning electron microscopy are terms that encompass diverse disciplines and numerous techniques, respectively. The agricultural disciplines not only include a wide range of biological sciences from virology to veterinary medicine and from taxonomy to molecular biology but also encompass the food sciences, human nutrition and agricultural engineering. Conventional scanning electron microscopy, which was initially used to obtain structural information about surfaces, has evolved into a multifaceted technique that has broad application to these agricultural disciplines. This review briefly traces the evolution of the scanning electron microscope and its applications in agricultural research |
