What type of microscope can visualize viruses?

An electron microscope is the appropriate choice for visualizing viruses due to its ability to achieve much higher magnification and resolution compared to other types of microscopes. Electron microscopes use a beam of electrons instead of visible light to illuminate the specimen, which allows for the visualization of structures on a nanometer scale, typically around 0.1 nanometers to several micrometers in size. This level of detail is essential for observing viruses, which are generally much smaller than the limit of resolution for light microscopes, making them invisible under standard optical means.

In contrast, a magnifying glass and a light microscope operate using visible light and do not possess the necessary resolution to observe viral particles. A slit lamp, commonly used in ophthalmology, is designed for examining the anterior segment of the eye and is not suitable for visualizing microscopic entities like viruses. Therefore, the electron microscope is uniquely equipped to meet the requirements for studying such small pathogens.