What ethical framework should we establish to separate useful image clarity from digital synthesis that misrepresents actual biological truth?
To draw this line, we must prioritize the preservation of morphological integrity. Acceptable enhancement focuses on signal-to-noise ratios. If a researcher uses sharpening algorithms or contrast adjustment to make a subtle cellular structure visible, they are helping the eye see what is already there. These methods do not invent data; they simply clean the window through which we view it. This falls under standard digital processing, much like adjusting exposure in traditional photography.
Misrepresentation begins when synthesis introduces features that lack a physical basis in the original specimen. Using GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) to
