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Resolution in the context of structural biology is the ability to distinguish the presence or absence of atoms or groups of atoms in a biomolecular structure. Usually, the structure originates from methods such as X-ray crystallography , electron crystallography , or cryo-electron microscopy .
Dawes' limit is a formula to express the maximum resolving power of a microscope or telescope. [1] It is so named after its discoverer, William Rutter Dawes , [ 2 ] although it is also credited to Lord Rayleigh .
The limit of resolution obtainable in a TEM may be described in several ways, and is typically referred to as the information limit of the microscope. One commonly used value [ citation needed ] is a cut-off value of the contrast transfer function , a function that is usually quoted in the frequency domain to define the reproduction of spatial ...
Memorial in Jena, Germany to Ernst Karl Abbe, who approximated the diffraction limit of a microscope as = , where d is the resolvable feature size, λ is the wavelength of light, n is the index of refraction of the medium being imaged in, and θ (depicted as α in the inscription) is the half-angle subtended by the optical objective lens (representing the numerical aperture).
There is a diffraction-limited resolution depending on incident wavelength; in visible range, the resolution of optical microscopy is limited to approximately 0.2 micrometres (see: microscope) and the practical magnification limit to ~1500x. [13] Out-of-focus light from points outside the focal plane reduces image clarity. [14]
An example of a spatial aberration includes the finite incident beam convergence. [8] As shown in the figure, the most restrictive envelope term will dominate in damping the contrast transfer function. In this particular example, the temporal envelope term is the most restrictive.
Thus, the resolution limit is usually around λ 0 /2 for conventional optical microscopy. [17] This treatment takes into account only the light diffracted into the far-field that propagates without any restrictions. NSOM makes use of evanescent or non propagating fields that exist only near the surface of the object.
This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms.It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions from sub-disciplines and related fields, see Glossary of cell biology, Glossary of genetics, Glossary of evolutionary biology, Glossary of ecology ...