Optical diffraction applied to electron microscopy. A model of diffractometer and image processing unit.

Abstract

The analysis of images obtained in the electron microscope is made mostly through subjective mechanisms, using the observers experience to recognize morphologic patterns which will allow the identification of the structures. The development of techniques allowing a quantitative evaluation of certain parameters (eg. the volume of cell components, quantitative autoradiography, electronprobe microanalysis, etc.) made an important contribution toward the interpretation of electron micrographs. Amongst those techniques optical diffraction, using the coherent light properties of diffraction and interference, are of paramount importance.