BIOPHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (KEYNOTE PAPER).

The biophysics of perception of the SEM image is discussed with respect to visual cues used by the brain for spatial analysis. Illusions are defined and it is suggested that a further consideration of these perception errors will help to prevent mis-interpretation of SEM images and also improve understanding of the visual processing mechanisms used in observing these images. Finally, a role is suggested for subjective or intuitive processes in SEM image evaluation.