International A Level Biology / Cell structure

Recognising organelles in electron micrographs

Edexcel International A Level Biology (YBI11), chapter 7: Cell structure, specification point 3.6. Part of the full course.

Read the revision notes · International A Level Biology past papers

You can identify organelles in electron micrographs by checking their size, membranes, folds and texture. Comparing these clues helps you distinguish organelles that look similar, while remembering that the angle of a thin section can change their appearance.

More lessons in Cell structure

• Light and electron microscopes: magnification and resolution
• Magnification calculations and units
• Core practical 5: the graticule and drawing animal cells
• The ultrastructure of an animal cell
• What each organelle does
• Protein transport: rough ER to Golgi to the outside
• Prokaryotic cells
• From cells to organ systems