Crystallography Microscopy: A Definition
Crystallography microscopy is one of the most advanced applications of microscopy and microscopes today. Crystallography on its own is still an experimental science. As such, its functions, applications, and developments are still within the bounds of research and discovery.
Crystallography is the science that deals with the study of determining the arrangement of atoms in matter, more particularly in solids. Simply defined, crystallography is the process learning more about crystals, their structure and form. The term crystallography comes from the two Greek words crystallon and graphein. Crystallon means a frozen drop or a cold drop. Being such, crystallography has grown to be related to solids that are in a way, transparent to some extent. Graphien, on the other hand, means to write.
Crystallography has a lot of applications today. It is even possible to study some other materials using its principles even if they don’t occur as crystals naturally. Proteins are a good example of this. To study proteins more intensely, these substances are crystallized. And that feat is achieved by adding a certain solution to proteins so that it transforms into a crystalline form after several days or even months of settling. It is made possible through the process of vapor diffusion.
Aside from medicine, crystallography is applied in materials engineering and biology as well. Needless to say, the whole principle of crystallography cannot be performed without the use of a quality crystallography microscope. Right now, there are different types of microscopes that can be used for this discipline. The price range for such devices though is far and wide. In fact, there are crystallography microscopes that are priced for as low as $250 only. But if you check out the most complex one, it could cost as much as $5,500.
Basically, a simple microscope can qualify as crystallography microscope for as long as it has the ability to produce three dimensional images. A regular stereomicroscopes used in schools and homes can give users the basic observations related to crystallography if and when they have to know more about the specimen they are viewing.
Crystallography microscopy starts with the preparation of samples. The principle of this study requires that samples be crystallized properly before it can be viewed. But if the more complex crystallography microscope is used, even that may not be necessary. For a certain type of samples, merely looking into the eye piece will give users the atom structure of the specimen they are looking at.
Crystallography microscopy is adapted from the principles of light microscopy. Following the same set of laws, a transmission electron microscope can also be used for crystallography purposes. Transmission electron microscope is very complex types of microscopes and they are the types of microscopes that are mostly used in a complete laboratory setup. Therefore, these types cost more than the highest regular crystallography microscope available in the market today.
Crystallography employs the principles of x-ray in the same way that a transmission electron microscopes process them. The theory behind crystallography microscopy indicates that the image of a certain microscopic object can be generated through focusing the definite rays of a visible spectrum with the use of the microscope’s lens. But the wavelength of such visible light is rather long when compared to that of the atomic bond length. This means radiation is necessary for x-rays, which incidentally have shorter wavelengths. Basically, these facts are the same ones that made crystallography microscopy and transmission electron microscopes related to each other.
Today, x-ray crystallography had become the foremost method in determining the molecular formations not only of proteins but of nucleic acids such as DNA’s, and RNA’s as well. In crystals, it is easy to see the crystalline arrangements of atoms. This is because the natural shape of a crystal has the ability to directly reflect its atomic structure. Physical properties, on the other hand, are usually controlled by what was referred to as crystalline defects.
In order to understand crystallographic defects, an accurate perception of the structures of crystals is very important. A lot of materials occur in poly-crystalline form rather than a single crystalline structure. For such cases, the method of power diffraction is bound to play a very important role as far as structural determination is concerned.
These are the concepts of crystallography microscopy. Currently, this science is still being developed. There are a lot of new applications expected from this field as well. It is also foreseen that sooner or later, crystallography microscope will transform into an important science that will aid in the improvement of human life.