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Each cover in volume 222 of the BDJ will feature a scanning electron microscope image showing bacteria or tissues found in the mouth. Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) allow us to look at surfaces in nano-dimensions, 100 million times smaller than the human eye can see. They work by using beams of electrons instead of light rays. These electrons bounce off the surface of the material in question and are directed at a screen (like a cathode-ray TV screen) where they display a picture of the surface.
This final image in the series depicts an SEM image of a squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) cell from a human mouth. The many blebs and microvilli on the cell's surface are clearly seen in the image.