Practice question

AFM tapping mode minimizes damage by oscillating cantilever so tip intermittently contacts surface at bottom of swing. Intermittent contact drastically reduces lateral shear forces compared to constant contact mode dragging, preventing displacement or deformation of weakly adsorbed biomolecules, lipid bilayers, and live cells. Feedback maintains amplitude, mapping soft samples gentlly while still sensing van der Waals interactions. TEM and contact mode AFM impose harsh fixation or high friction, risking artifacts. Tapping enables high-resolution imaging of DNA-protein interactions, membrane dynamics, and molecular assembly under physiological buffer without compromising native structure and function.