The Distinction Between Confocal Laser Microscopy and Fluorescence Microscopy
1. Different principles
1. Fluorescence microscope: This type of microscope makes use of ultraviolet light to irradiate the object being examined in order to cause it to emit fluorescence. After this, the form and location of the object are then observed.
2. Laser confocal microscope: fluorescent probes are activated by ultraviolet or visible light, and a laser scanning device is placed on the basis of fluorescence microscopy imaging.
Two, different characteristics
1. Fluorescence microscope: used to examine how compounds are absorbed, transported, distributed, and localized in cells, among other things. Even though some compounds cannot glow on their own, they can fluoresce when stained with fluorescent dyes or fluorescent antibodies after being exposed to UV light, as is the case for some molecules found in cells, such as chlorophyll.
2. The employment of a laser confocal microscope allows for the observation of physiological signals such as Ca2+, pH, membrane potential, and changes in cell morphology at the subcellular level, as well as fluorescent images of the tiny structure inside cells or tissues.
Three, different uses
1. Fluorescence microscopy: The fundamental tool in immunofluorescence cytochemistry is the fluorescence microscope. It is made up of major parts such an optical system, a filter plate system, and a light source. The purpose is to stimulate the specimen to emit fluorescence using a certain wavelength of light, and then observe the fluorescence image of the specimen using an amplified objective lens and eyepiece system.
2. Laser confocal microscopy: When combined with other closely related biological technologies, laser scanning confocal microscopy has been extensively used in the fields of molecular cell biology such as morphology, physiology, and immunology. It offers practical research methods such as quantitative fluorescence measurement and quantitative image analysis.
