Application of Electron Microscope Technique in Anthropological Research: A Review

The purpose of this paper is to review the use of Electron Microscope (EM) techniques in the field of anthropological research. This technique has not been extensively used by anthropology researchers in India, although it can provide a wide range of information about the unseen world in anthropological research. Anthropologists have traditionally made significant contribution in fields like growth and nutrition, reproductive health, genetic disorders, excavated human remains among others by traditional anthropometry methods. In many an instance, one can also utilize or add up the EM facility for such studies. The author outlines the basic sample preparation methods to be selected for the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) systems. Examples of application of EM in anthropology and the contributions of researchers in India and elsewhere are discussed.