Microbiology

What is Dark Field Microscopy? Darkfield microscopy is a form of light microscopy that facilitates detection by contrast. For example, brightfield microscopy uses a light source that shines light directly through the sample in order to illuminate the sample from below; darkfield microscopy uses a condenser that shines light at an oblique angle so that … Read more

What is Fluorescence Microscopy? A fluorescence microscope is an optical microscope that employs fluorescence for examining specific properties of select organic and inorganic substances. A fluorescence microscope functions by observing labeled samples; the labels here are the specific fluorescent molecules (or clusters of molecules)—termed fluorophores—that emit light when stimulated at specific frequencies. Components of a … Read more

The oil immersion method enhances the resolving power of a microscope, enabling light microscopy to distinguish finer details. Immersion oil—clear and colorless, having a refractive index of about 1.515—is placed in between the lens and the specimen. The refractive index is higher; therefore, less light is refracted. If less light is refracted, then less is … Read more

What is transmission electron microscope? A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a high-resolution imaging tool that uses a beam of electrons instead of light to see very small details in thin samples. It can make structures up to several million times bigger, which lets scientists see things like viruses, cell organelles, or even macromolecular complexes. … Read more

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) produces high-resolution images from an electron beam that scans a focused beam over the surface of a specimen. The benefit of using electrons as opposed to an optical light microscope is that, due to electronegativity, the resultant interactions with the orbitals surrounding the atom create signals that indicate surface morphology … Read more

What is phase contrast microscopy? Okay, so picture this: back in the 1930s, scientists were struggling to study things like living cells or bacteria under a microscope. Why? Because those tiny critters are practically see-through! You couldn’t get a clear look without dunking them in harsh dyes—which, you know, kinda killed them. Not exactly helpful if you … Read more

Confocal microscopy offers some pretty cool perks compared to regular optical microscopes. For starters, it gives you a razor-thin focus depth, cuts out that annoying blurry background glow, and lets you snap crisp, detailed “slices” of thick samples—one after another. This makes it a go-to tool in biomedicine, especially for studying cells and tissues, whether … Read more

What is a Dissecting microscope or a Stereo microscope? A dissecting microscope—also known as a stereo microscope—is an optical microscope study apparatus that enables the observation of an object at low to moderate magnification (typically 5x to 250x) through reflective light versus transmitted light. Thus, it’s a microscope made for viewing little details that could … Read more

Designed to enlarge things too tiny for the human eye to see, a microscope is a tool. It provides a portal to the hidden world of minute structures, allowing medical practitioners, teachers, and researchers to examine materials, cells, and creatures in until unheard-of clarity. Microscopes range significantly in kind, from simple to very sophisticated models. … Read more