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Why are soft X-rays useful for studying biological materials in water?
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X-ray
The relationship of X-rays to other electromagnetic radiation within the electromagnetic spectrum.
Soft X-rays are particularly useful for studying biological materials in water because water is relatively transparent in the soft X-ray region (wavelengths in the 1- to 10-nm range). This transparency allows researchers to use X-ray microscopes to examine biological specimens in their natural, aqueous environment without the need for extensive sample preparation that might otherwise alter the material's structure.1