(2) Structure of bacteria and viruses Explanation: Electron microscopes are used to observe a wide range of biological and inorganic specimens including microorganisms, cells, large molecules, biopsy samples, metals, and crystals. An electron microscope uses a beam of electrons to illuminate a specimen and produce a magnified image. An electron microscope (EM) has greater resolving power than a lightpowered optical microscope because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than visible light photons.