Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy01:18

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

8.6K
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
8.6K
Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

14.5K
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
14.5K
Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology01:29

Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

934
Two-dimensional (2D) microscopy encompasses a range of optical techniques that capture images within a single focal plane, offering detailed representations of microscopic structures. These techniques are essential in biological and medical research, enabling the visualization of cellular and subcellular structures with different levels of contrast and specificity.There are several major types of 2D microscopy, each with strengths and applications.Bright-Field MicroscopyBright-field microscopy...
934
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

12.7K
The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
12.7K
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy01:16

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

19.7K
Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...
19.7K
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

6.7K
In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400...
6.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Crohn's Disease in Malaysia: Could Application of the Precautionary Principle Reduce Future Incidence?

Microorganisms·2026
Same author

Geographic distribution of inflammatory bowel disease in the UK: A spatially explicit survey.

PloS one·2025
Same author

A phase 1b clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of simian adenovirus and poxvirus vectored vaccines against a Mycobacterium avium complex subspecies in patients with active Crohn's disease.

EBioMedicine·2025
Same author

Corrigendum to "Visualisation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in cultured cells, infected sheep and human tissue sections using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)" [Journal of Microbiological Methods 224 (2024) 107001].

Journal of microbiological methods·2024
Same author

Visualisation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in cultured cells, infected sheep and human tissue sections using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

Journal of microbiological methods·2024
Same author

How achievable are STRIDE-II treatment targets in real-world practice and do they predict long-term treatment outcomes?

Frontline gastroenterology·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Major Components of the Light Microscope
08:08

Major Components of the Light Microscope

Published on: July 30, 2008

24.2K

Fundamentals of Microscopy.

Jeremy Sanderson1

  • 1Bioimaging Facility Manager, MRC Harwell Institute, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK.

Current Protocols in Mouse Biology
|June 5, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Learn essential microscopy techniques for biologists. This guide covers setting up brightfield, fluorescence, and confocal microscopes, ensuring high-quality images for life science research.

Keywords:
Köhler illuminationconfocal microscopyfluorescence microscopyimage formationlight microscopy

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy
08:32

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Published on: January 26, 2024

3.0K
Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
14:09

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope

Published on: April 7, 2014

16.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Major Components of the Light Microscope
08:08

Major Components of the Light Microscope

Published on: July 30, 2008

24.2K
Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy
08:32

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Published on: January 26, 2024

3.0K
Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
14:09

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope

Published on: April 7, 2014

16.0K

Area of Science:

  • Biological and biomedical sciences
  • Bioimaging
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • The light microscope is a fundamental tool in science, with fluorescence microscopy widely used across disciplines.
  • Effective use of microscopes, including confocal microscopy, is crucial for biological and biomedical research.
  • Understanding basic microscopy principles is essential for researchers working with samples like the mouse.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the foundations of light and electron microscopy for life scientists.
  • To provide operational protocols for setting up and adjusting various light microscopes.
  • To guide researchers in selecting the appropriate microscope for their specific sample preparation.

Main Methods:

  • Explanation of image formation in light microscopy.
  • Detailed protocols for Köhler illumination setup for brightfield and fluorescence microscopes.
  • Generic protocol for operating a confocal microscope.

Main Results:

  • Provides foundational knowledge for biologists and life scientists on microscope operation.
  • Offers practical guidance on microscope setup and adjustment, including Köhler illumination.
  • Discusses Nyquist sampling and microscope selection criteria for optimal imaging.

Conclusions:

  • Mastering basic microscopy principles is key to collecting high-quality images.
  • This paper serves as an introductory guide to essential light microscopy techniques.
  • Researchers can improve their imaging capabilities by understanding and applying these fundamental concepts.