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Which imaging method is the only one that reveals the internal structures of a virion?
AScanning electron microscopy
BLight microscopy at high power
CTransmission electron microscopy
DEither light or scanning microscopy
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Transmission electron microscopy
1. Both scanning and transmission electron microscopy show the surface structure of virions.
2. Only transmission electron microscopy shows what lies inside the particle.
3. A light microscope cannot resolve viruses at all, apart from some large poxvirus virions.
4. Scanning electron microscopy stops at the outer surface, so it is the trap answer here.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 21 "Viruses", section 21.1 Viral Evolution, Morphology, and Classification_
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