Types of Light Microscopes

• Brightfield
o most widely used; specimen is darker than the surrounding field; live and preserved stained specimens

• Darkfield
o brightly illuminated specimens surrounded by dark field; live and unstained specimens

• Phase contrast
o transforms subtle changes in light waves passing through the specimen into differences in light intensity, best for observing intracellular structures

• Differential Interference Contrast (Nomarski Interference Contrast)
o uses interference patterns to enhance contrast between different features of specimens, useful in distinguishing structures within live specimens, no staining

• Fluorescence
o uses fluorescent dyes that emit visible light when bombarded with shorter UV rays, can distinguish between living and dead cells

• Confocal Laser Scanning
o uses laser beam of light that scan at various depths in the specimen

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