Although the electron microscope was developed about 60 years ago in Germany, its arrival and subsequent use in Jamaica are of considerably more recent date. In this paper, the principles of scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM & TEM) are briefly explained, and examples are given of the research done with the electron microscopes at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Jamaica, especially over the last three years. Detailed descriptions of specimen preparation are provided for both SEM and TEM and particular emphasis is placed on the methodology used in our laboratory, as it sometimes differs from the routine followed in electron microscopy units of temperate countries.