Unstained Biological Specimens in High Resolution Electron Microscopy
Negative staining and high resolution shadowing have been extensively used for structural studies in electron microscopy. However, these techniques cover the specimen with a layer of heavy salt or metal, and hence do not allow determination of true mass distribution or localization of specific sites using heavy atom markers. A prerequisite for such structural studies is an examination of unstained specimens. For thin specimens dark field microscopy must be used to obtain adequate contrast. The scanning transmission electron microscope is preferred for such studies since elastic, energyloss, and unscattered electrons can be recorded and analyzed quantitatively to form images with a minimum of beam-induced damage.