| Anode | A positively charged device that pulls the cloud of electrons from the electron gun and creates an electron beam. |
| Atom | Tiny particles that make up the world around us. An atom contains negatively charged particles (electrons), positively charged particles (protons) and non-charged particles (neutrons). |
| Computer | Used to interpret the electrical current from the detector and converts it into an image. |
| Deflectors | Rolls of wire that use magnetic force to push the electron beam from side to side to scan the surface of the sample. |
| Detector | A device that attracts the electrons that bounce from the sample after the electron beam is scanned over it. It is positively charged. The detector converts the electrons that come from the sample into an electrical current that is interpreted by a computer that shows the image on the screen. |
| Electron | A negatively charged particle that orbits around the nucleous of an atom. |
| Electron beam | A stream of electrons pulled from the electron gun by the anode plate. |
| Electron column | Contains the electron gun, the anode, the magnetic lenses and the deflector coils. These devices are stacked to create a tube that has no air inside it. The electron beam travels along this tube. |
| Electron gun | A device that is used to generate an electron cloud. |
| Electron microscope | An instrument that uses electromagnetic lenses and electrons to magnify small objects to allow us to image them more clearly. |
| Filament | A thin wire used as a source of electrons. Electricity is run through the wire and electrons are pushed loose and gather in a cloud. |
| Glass lens | A piece of curved glass that allows us to guide a beam of light. |
| Light microscope | An instrument that uses glass lenses and light to magnify small objects to allow us to see them more clearly. |
| Magnetic lens | A tightly coiled roll of wire. When an electrical current is run through the wire the centre of the coil is filled with magnetic force. This magnetic force allows us to guide the beam of electrons. |
| Microscope | An instrument used to examine objects at higher magnification than possible with the naked eye. This allows us to see more detail and learn more about the object. |
| Nucleous | The central part of the atom. Contains both positively charged particles and non-charged particles. |
| Sample | The object that we are interested in examining. |
| Scan coils | Another term for deflectors. |
| Scanning | Moving the electron beam back and forth across the sample. |
| Specimen chamber | A container at the base of the electron column that has the specimen stage and the detector inside it. |
| Specimen stage | The place where the sample is placed inside the specimen chamber. Allows the operator to move the sample so that various parts of the sample can be imaged. |
| Vacuum system | A series of pumps that extract the air from the electron column and the specimen chamber because the beam of electrons cannot travel though air. |
| Water chilling system | Chilled water is used to cool the parts of the machine that get hot. |
