Final answer:
Cell structures visible with a light microscope at maximum resolving power include the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Smaller structures require an electron microscope for visualization. Staining techniques are used to enhance contrast and visibility of cell components.
Step-by-step explanation:
When using a light microscope with the maximum resolving power, typically set at about 0.2 µm, the cell structures that would most likely be visible are those above this size limit. These include cell nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts in plant cells. However, smaller structures like ribosomes or the details of membrane proteins would not be visible as they are below the practical resolving power of a light microscope. To visualize smaller structures, an electron microscope would be necessary, with significantly higher resolution capabilities.
Furthermore, for optimal visibility with a light microscope, techniques such as staining with selective dyes are employed to increase contrast as many cellular components refract light to a similar extent, making them difficult to distinguish. The highest magnification commonly achieved with light microscopy in a college biology lab is up to approximately 400 times. For detailed surface structures of a cell, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) would be more effective due to its higher resolution.