36 Major Differences Between a Light and an Electron Microscope

Both light microscopes and electron microscopes create bigger, more detailed pictures of objects that are not visible to the naked eye using radiation (light or electron beams).

Light Microscope vs Electron Microscope (Table Form)

However, each of these microscopes has unique qualities and is useful for various tasks.

S.N.	Character	Light Microscope	Electron Microscope
1.	Alternatively known as	Optical microscope	Beam microscope
2.	Invented by	Zacharius Jansen, a Dutch manufacturer of eyeglasses, and his father Hans are said to have developed the compound microscope early in the 16th century.	German engineer Max Knoll and physicist Ernst Ruska first met in 1931.
3.	Illuminating source	uses light to illuminate the things in vision at a wavelength of around 400 to 700 nm.	uses an electron beam to enlarge things for a detailed view at a wavelength of around 1 nm.
4.	Principle	Light waves are absorbed to create the picture.	The picture is created by the transmission or scattering of electrons.
5.	Structure	Light microscopes are smaller and lighter.	Heavier and larger in size.
6.	Lenses used	Lenses are made of glass.	Lenses are made of electromagnets.
7.	Vacuum	Not used under a vacuum	Operates under a high vacuum
8.	Specimen type	Fixed or unfixed, stained or unstained, living or non-living.	Fixed, stained, and non-living.
9.	Specimen observed	Both live and dead specimens can be observed.	Only dead specimens are possible to be observed.
10.	Specimen preparation	Less tedious and simple.	It often entails tougher procedures, such as the use of caustic chemicals. To prepare specimens and analyse EM pictures, more competence is needed (due to artifacts).
11.	Preparation time	Specimen preparation takes usually a few minutes to hours.	Specimen preparation takes usually takes a few days.
12.	Thickness of specimen	5 micrometer or thicker	Ultra-thin, 0.1 micrometers or below
13.	Dehydration of Specimen	Specimens need not be dehydrated before viewing.	Only dehydrated specimens are used.
14.	Coating of specimen	Stained by colored dyes for proper visualization.	Coated with heavy metals to reflect electrons.
15.	Mounting of specimen	Mounted on the glass slide.	installed on the metal grid (mostly copper).
16.	Focusing	Done by adjusting the lens position mechanically.	done by altering the electric current's strength as it passes through the electromagnetic lenses.
17.	Magnification power	Low magnification of up to 1,500x.	High magnification of up to 1,000,000x.
18.	Resolving power	Low resolving power, usually below 0.30µm.	The light microscope's resolving power is around 250 times lower than the high resolution of up to 0.001 m.
19.	Viewing of the image formed	Images from a light microscope may be seen right away. Through the eyepiece, images are seen by the eyes.	Photographic plates or fluorescent screens made of zinc sulphate are used to see the images.
20.	Nature of Image formed	Poor surface view	Good surface view and internal details
21.	Image Color	Colored images.	Electron microscopes produce grayscale (sometimes called “black and white”) images (except “false-color” electron micrographs).
22.	Image dimension	Image plane “flat” (2D).	a transmission electron microscope (TEM) only in two dimensions; SEM photos provide depth information that seems to be three-dimensional.
23.	Living processes	It is possible to visualise biological processes like cell division and tiny pond life.	Living processes cannot be viewed.
24.	Room settings	No special settings are required.	It has to be utilised in a space with regulated humidity, pressure, and temperature.
25.	Simplicity in use	Simple to use	Users require technical skills
26.	Electric Current	No need for high voltage electricity.	A high voltage electric current is required (50,000 V or above).
27.	Filaments	No filaments are used.	Tungsten filaments are used to generate electrons.
28.	Cooling System	Absent	There is a cooling system in place to reduce the heat produced by high voltage electric current.
29.	Radiation leakage	No radiation risk.	Risk of radiation leakage.
30.	Complexity	Less complex	Complex
31.	Expense	Cheap to buy and has low maintenance costs.	Very expensive to buy as well as to maintain.
32.	Suitability /   Practicality	Suitable for most basic functions, and is very common in schools and other learning institutions.	Limited to specialized use such as research.
33.	Advantages	Easy to use Cheap True color but sometimes require staining Live specimens	High resolution Provide detailed images of surface structures and interior structures High magnification 3D images
34.	Disadvantages	Low resolution due to shorter wavelength of light (0.2nm) Low magnification The specimen used is thin.	Expensive Requires extensive training Sample must be dead Black and white/false-color image
35.	Types/ Variants	Dark-field microscope Phase-contrast microscope Fluorescent microscope Confocal microscope Polarized microscope Differential interference contrast microscope	Transmission electron microscope (TEM) Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
36.	Application	It is used for the study of detailed gross internal structure.	It is used in the study of the external surface, the ultrastructure of cells, and very small organisms.