Spatiotemporal resolution of various biophysical techniques. The temporal (abcissa) and spatial (ordinate) resolutions of each technique are indicated by colored boxes. Techniques capable of yielding data on single molecules (as opposed to only on ensembles) are shown in bold. Nuclear magnetic resonance methods can probe a wide range of timescales, but they provide limited information on motion at certain intermediate timescales, as indicated by the lighter shading and dashed lines. The timescales of some fundamental molecular processes, as well as composite physiological processes, are indicated below the abcissa. The (spatial) resolution needed to resolve certain objects is shown at right. AFM, atomic force microscopy; EM, electron microscopy; FRET, Förster resonance energy transfer; NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance.