light microscopes are used to study living cells and for regular use when relatively low magnification and resolution is enough. electron microscopes provide higher magnifications and higher resolution images but cannot be used to view living cells.

What is light microscopy used for?

Principles. The light microscope is an instrument for visualizing fine detail of an object. It does this by creating a magnified image through the use of a series of glass lenses, which first focus a beam of light onto or through an object, and convex objective lenses to enlarge the image formed.

In what specific situations would you use a light microscope?

A light microscope is used to view the details of the surface of a cell as it cannot be viewed in detail by the transmission microscope. b. A light microscope allows visualization of small living cells, which have been stained and cannot be viewed by scanning electron microscope.