Аннотация:The paper deals with the analysis of absorption contrast of histological and cytological images, which can be produced in soft x-ray/EUV microscopic studies using monochromatic or quazi-monochromatic radiation at the wavelengths 2-14 nm. We present also the experimental results obtained with a laser-plasma source and X-ray multilayer optics in the spectral region of high transparency of carbon-containing materials (4.5-5 nm, “carbon window”).