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

5.2K
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...
5.2K
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy01:16

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

14.1K
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,...
14.1K
Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy01:26

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

9.3K
Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
9.3K
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy01:05

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

6.4K
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.
6.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Effect of laser-beam diameter on the visibility of two-photon stimuli.

Optics letters·2026
Same author

Comparative analysis of retinal and cerebral vascular responses to COâ‚‚ using Doppler optical coherence tomography and transcranial Doppler ultrasound.

Physics in medicine and biology·2025
Same author

The best fixation target revisited: New insights from retinal eye tracking.

Behavior research methods·2025
Same author

Do eye trackers estimate eyeball rotation? The relationship between tracked eye image feature and estimated saccadic waveform.

Behavior research methods·2025
Same author

Cytoplasmic movement velocity in unfertilized mouse oocytes: a supportive but not definitive marker of embryo quality.

Theriogenology·2025
Same author

Wide-field quantitative micro-elastography of freshly excised human prostate.

Biomedical optics express·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes
08:24

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

Published on: November 11, 2022

1.8K

Optical Coherence Microscopy for Oocyte Imaging.

Anna Ajduk1, Szymon Tamborski2, Maciej Szkulmowski2

  • 1Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. a.ajduk@uw.edu.pl.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 30, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) provides fluorophore-free 3D live imaging of cells, visualizing intracellular structures without harming development. This technique offers a safe and effective alternative for live cell imaging in research and clinical settings.

Keywords:
EmbryoImage processingImagingMouseNucleolusNucleusOocyteOptical coherence microscopySpindle

More Related Videos

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
07:44

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: July 24, 2020

3.0K
Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts
07:51

Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts

Published on: October 21, 2022

1.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes
08:24

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

Published on: November 11, 2022

1.8K
In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
07:44

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: July 24, 2020

3.0K
Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts
07:51

Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts

Published on: October 21, 2022

1.7K

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Imaging
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Current imaging techniques for oocytes and embryos often rely on fluorescent labels.
  • There is a need for non-invasive, high-resolution imaging methods to study cellular dynamics.
  • Mammalian oocytes and embryos require specialized imaging approaches due to their sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and describe spectral Optical Coherence Microscopy (OCM) as a novel imaging technique.
  • To demonstrate the capability of OCM for fluorophore-free 3D live imaging of mammalian oocytes and embryos.
  • To highlight OCM's potential as an alternative to existing imaging methods in research and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

  • Spectral Optical Coherence Microscopy (OCM) principles.
  • 3D high-resolution live imaging of intracellular architecture (nuclei, nucleoli, metaphase spindles, membranous structures).
  • Time-lapse imaging for monitoring dynamic behavior and quantitative analysis of organelles.

Main Results:

  • OCM enables detailed 3D visualization of intracellular components in live oocytes and embryos.
  • The technique is compatible with time-lapse imaging, allowing dynamic process observation.
  • Optimized OCM settings were found to be safe for oocytes and embryos, preserving developmental capabilities.

Conclusions:

  • Spectral OCM is a powerful, fluorophore-free imaging modality for live mammalian oocytes and embryos.
  • OCM provides high-resolution 3D visualization and quantitative analysis of cellular dynamics.
  • This technique presents a promising, safe alternative for both basic research and clinical applications in reproductive biology.