Spiderman carefully slid the sample of mud into the microscope. As he increased the magnification he caught sight of a tiny spherical crystal. Zooming in on it, he said “Let's see what it's made of”. He reached over and flipped on the x-ray detector. As the spectrum formed on the screen a gasp went through the small group of researchers. “Kryptonite…the intruder is from another comic strip!”

The primary function of a microscope is to get a closer look at a sample. Many times a closer look is enough. Other times you need as much information as possible to solve a problem. In the above example, a reading of the chemical elements contained in the sample gave important clues about the sample's origin. X-ray analysis in electron microscopy combines elemental analysis with high resolution imaging. Of all the analytical techniques available to microscopists, it is the most highly developed and easiest to use.