What are the differences between two-photon microscopy and laser confocal microscopy?
Laser confocal microscope is a set of observation, analysis, and output systems that use laser as the light source, conjugate focusing principle and device based on traditional optical microscope, and digital image processing of the observed object using computer. The main system includes laser light source, automatic microscope, scanning module (including confocal optical path channel and pinhole, scanning mirror, detector), digital signal processor, computer, and image output equipment (display, color printer), etc. By using a laser scanning confocal microscope, it is possible to perform tomographic scanning and imaging of the observed sample. Therefore, it is possible to observe and analyze the three-dimensional spatial structure of cells without damage.
Meanwhile, laser scanning confocal microscopy is also a powerful tool for dynamic observation of live cells, multiple immunofluorescence labeling, and ion fluorescence labeling observation Accurately analyze the essence of spectra and distinguish signals with highly overlapping emission spectra and different markers.
The most important thing is that for multi-color fluorescent staining, it can completely eliminate the influence of fluorescent cross color and minimize the loss of sample fluorescence signal to the greatest extent possible. These are all things that ordinary light mirrors cannot achieve.
What is the principle of a microscope
The principle of a microscope is convex lens imaging. In optics, the image formed by the convergence of actual light rays that can be presented on a light screen is called a real image. The image formed by the convergence of the reverse extension line of light rays that cannot be presented on a light screen is called a virtual image. When discussing the difference between real and virtual images, it is often mentioned that real images are inverted, while virtual images are upright.
A microscope is mainly composed of an eyepiece, objective lens, stage, and reflector. The eyepiece and objective are both convex lenses with different focal lengths. The focal length of the convex lens of the objective is smaller than that of the convex lens of the eyepiece.
The objective lens is equivalent to the lens of a projector, and objects are inverted and magnified into a real image through the objective lens. The eyepiece is equivalent to a regular magnifying glass, and the real image is then transformed into an upright and magnified virtual image through the eyepiece. Objects that reach the human eye through a microscope become inverted magnified virtual images.
