An electron microscope would be the best choice for viewing which of the following?

• A. Bacterial colonies on agar plates
• B. Viruses
• C. Fungi hyphae
• D. Human cheek cells

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the resolution limits of different types of microscopes. Light microscopes can typically resolve structures down to about 200 nanometers, while electron microscopes can resolve much smaller structures, down to the scale of individual molecules or viruses.
2. Step 2: Consider the size of the specimens listed: bacterial colonies are macroscopic and visible to the naked eye; fungi hyphae and human cheek cells are large enough to be seen clearly with a light microscope; viruses, however, are much smaller, often in the range of 20 to 300 nanometers, which is below the resolution limit of light microscopes.
3. Step 3: Recognize that because viruses are smaller than the wavelength of visible light, they cannot be seen with a light microscope and require the higher resolution of an electron microscope to be visualized.
4. Step 4: Conclude that among the options given, an electron microscope is best suited for viewing viruses due to their extremely small size.
5. Step 5: Summarize that the choice of microscope depends on the size of the specimen, and electron microscopes are essential for viewing ultrastructural details of very small entities like viruses.