Microscopic Food Structures

The field of microbiology has come a long way in the development of instrumentation that allows us to view objects and areas of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Optical microscopy and electron microscopy involve the diffraction, reflection, or refraction of electromagnetic electron beans interacting with the sample. Scanning probe microscopy involves the interaction of a scanning probe with the surface of a sample.

Using these microscopic techniques we can view the structure of foods and observe how microorganisms interact with these foods. We can also use microscopes to visualize what happens to foods when we alter them, either through cooking or other food processing technologies. Follow along in the video to see if you can guess which foods these microscopic structures belong to.