▁capture ▁fine ▁detail — even ▁as ▁small ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁column ▁of ▁atoms , ▁which ▁is ▁thousands ▁of ▁times ▁smaller ▁than ▁a ▁resol v able ▁object ▁seen ▁in ▁a ▁light ▁mic ros cope . ▁Trans mission ▁electron ▁micro sc opy ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁analyt ical ▁method ▁in ▁the ▁physical , ▁chemical ▁and ▁bi ological ▁sciences . ▁T EM s ▁find ▁application ▁in ▁cancer ▁research , ▁v iro log y , ▁and ▁materials ▁science ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁poll ution , ▁nan ote chn ology ▁and ▁sem icon duct or ▁research , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁other ▁fields ▁such ▁as ▁pale ont ology ▁and ▁pal yn ology . ▁ ▁T EM ▁instruments ▁bo ast ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁array ▁of ▁operating ▁modes ▁including ▁conventional ▁imag ing , ▁sc anning ▁T EM ▁imag ing ▁( ST EM ), ▁diff raction , ▁spect ro sc opy , ▁and ▁combinations ▁of ▁these . ▁Even ▁within ▁conventional ▁imag ing , ▁there ▁are ▁many ▁fund ament ally ▁different ▁ways ▁that ▁contrast ▁is ▁produced , ▁called ▁" image ▁contrast ▁mechan isms ." ▁Con tr ast ▁can ▁arise ▁from ▁position - to - position ▁differences ▁in ▁the ▁thick ness ▁or ▁density ▁(" mass - thick ness ▁contrast "), ▁atomic ▁number ▁(" Z ▁contrast ," ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁common ▁abbre viation ▁Z ▁for ▁atomic ▁number ), ▁cry stal ▁structure ▁or ▁orientation ▁(" c ry stal log raph ic ▁contrast " ▁or ▁" diff raction ▁contrast "), ▁the ▁slight ▁quantum - me chan ical ▁phase ▁sh ifts ▁that ▁individual ▁atoms ▁produce ▁in ▁electrons ▁that ▁pass ▁through