Light Microscopy in Biology The Practical Approach Series SERIES EDITOR B. D. HAMES Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK See also the Practical Approach web site at http://www.oup.co.uk/PAS * indicates new and forthcoming titles Affinity Chromatography Cellular Calcium Affinity Separations Cellular Interactions in Development Anaerobic Microbiology Cellular Neurobiology Animal Cell Culture (2nd edition) if Chromatin Animal Virus Pathogenesis * Chromosome Structural Analysis Antibodies I and II Clinical Immunology Antibody Engineering Complement if Antisense Technology * Crystallization of Nucleic Applied Microbial Physiology Acids and Proteins Basic Cell Culture (2nd edition) Behavioural Neuroscience Cytokines (2nd edition) Bioenergetics The Cytoskeleton Biological Data Analysis Diagnostic Molecular Pathology I and II Biomechanics—Materials DNA and Protein Sequence Biomechanics—Structures and Analysis Systems DNA Cloning 1: Core Biosensors Techniques (2nd edition) Carbohydrate Analysis DNA Cloning 2: Expression (2nd edition) Systems (2nd edition) Cell-Cell Interactions DNA Cloning 3: Complex The Cell Cycle Genomes (2nd edition) Cell Growth and Apoptosis DNA Cloning 4: Mammalian * Cell Separation Systems (2nd edition) if Drosophila (2nd edition) if Immobilized Biomolecules in Electron Microscopy in Analysis Biology Immunochemistry 1 Electron Microscopy in Immunochemistry 2 Molecular Biology Immunocytochemistry Electrophysiology if In Situ Hybridization (2nd Enzyme Assays edition) Epithelial Cell Culture lodinated Density Gradient Essential Developmental Media Biology Essential Molecular Ion Channels Biology I and I * Light Microscopy (2nd edition) * Eukaryotic DNA Replication Lipid Modification of Proteins Experimental Neuroanatomy Lipoprotein Analysis Extracellular Matrix Liposomes Flow Cytometry (2nd edition) Mammalian Cell Free Radicals Biotechnology Gas Chromatography Medical Parasitology Gel Electrophoresis of Nucleic Medical Virology Acids (2nd edition) MHC Volumes 1 and 2 if Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins if Molecular Genetic Analysis of (3rd edition) Populations (2nd edition) Gene Probes 1 and 2 Molecular Genetics of Yeast Gene Targeting Molecular Imaging in Gene Transcription Neuroscience * Genome Mapping Molecular Neurobiology Glycobiology Molecular Plant Pathology * Growth Factors and Receptors and II Haemopoiesis Molecular Virology * High Resolution Monitoring Neuronal Activity Chromotography Mutagenicity Testing Histocompatibility Testing * Mutation Detection HIV Volumes 1 and 2 Neural Cell Culture if HPLC of Macromolecules Neural Transplantation (2nd edition) Neurochemistry (2nd edition) Human Cytogenetics I and II (2nd edition) Neuronal Cell Lines Human Genetic Disease NMR of Biological Analysis Macromolecules Non-isotopic Methods in Pulsed Field Gel Molecular Biology Electrophoresis Nucleic Acid Hybridisation RNA Processing I and II Oligonucleotides and if RNA-Protein Interactions Analogues Signalling by Inositides Oligonucleotide Synthesis Subcellular Fractionation PCR 1 Signal Transduction PCR 2 * Transcription Factors (2nd *PCR 3:PCR In Situ edition) Hybridization Tumour Immunobiology Peptide Antigens Photosynthesis: Energy Last 10 published Transduction Chromatin 1.4.98 Plant Cell Biology Drosophila 2/e 19.3.98 Plant Cell Culture (2nd edition) Molecular Genetic Analysis of Plant Molecular Biology Populations 2/e 19.3.98 Mutation Detection 15.2.98 Plasmids (2nd edition) Antisense Technology 18.12.97 Platelets PCR 3:ISH.12.98 Postimplantation Mammalian Genome Mapping 21.8.98 Embryos MHC Volume 2 21.8.97 Preparative Centrifugation MHC Volume 121.8.97 Protein Blotting Signalling by Inositides if Protein Expression Vol 1 * Protein Expression Vol 2 In prod Protein Engineering HPLC of Mac 2/e Protein Function (2nd edition) RNA-Protein Interactions Protein Phosphorylation Growth Factors and Receptors Cell Sepn Protein Purification Applications Light Mic ISH2/e Protein Purification Methods GEP3/e Protein Sequencing Immobilized Biomolecules Protein Structure (2nd edition) Eukaryotic DNA Replication Protein Structure Prediction Chromosone Structural Protein Targeting Analysis Proteolytic Enzymes Protein Expression Vol 1 Light Microscopy in Biology Second Edition A Practical Approach Edited by ALAN J. LACEY Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Brunei, The University of West London, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS OXTORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford and furthers the University's aim of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogota Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Paris Sao Paulo Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw and associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © Oxford University Press 1999 All rights reserved. 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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data (Data available) ISBN 0 19 963670 2 (Hbk) 0 19 963669 9 (Pbk) Typeset by Footnote Graphics, Warminster, Wilts Printed in Great Britain by Information Press, Ltd, Eynsham, Oxon. Preface Preparing a new edition of an originally successful first edition must always result in a choice having to be made as to what to leave out to make room for any new material. Optical microscopy has developed very fast in the last ten years and yet the same principles of achieving a good image by the interaction of light with the matter under investigation are still there. Developing tech- niques in confocal and near-field microscopy have been given chapters as have calcium ion and pH imaging which reflect something of the enormous develop- ment of fluorochromes and fluorescent microscopy. Video cameras and video recorders used to record images for visual examination or to lead on to image analysis by subsequent processing in digital or other format have all made large contributions to the development of optical microscopy. Basic optical microscopy in which aspects of resolution of fine detail and the requirement of contrast to make that small detail visible has been retained. The recording of the image by wet chemistry methods is still a routine require- ment in many projects but the use of video cameras and printers is beginning to challenge the dark-room photochemical production of still images. The basic immunohistochemistry and that of differential staining particularly in the preparation of tissues and chromosomes has been retained while new empha- sis has been given to such topics as fluoroprobes for calcium and pH imaging and microinjection of materials into living cells. The use of optical microscopy techniques such as near-field and nanovid to push the resolution beyond the traditionally accepted diffraction limit attempts to bridge the gap between optical and electron microscopy. Surface details of living cells are very important components in the study of drug reaction and these together with cells to surface contacts are assisted by the techniques of reflection-contrast microscopy and evanescent illumination. The editor wishes to thank all the many colleagues, and particularly Dr Peter Hobson, for their patience in technical discussions. Mr D. J. Thomson is gratefully acknowledged for his help in many practical ways. Thanks are due to the production team of OUP who have been so helpful in preparing this book over a long period. Oxford A. J. L. Jan 1999 This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Contributors xix Abbreviations xxi 1. Basic optical microscopy 1 A. J. Lacey 1. Introduction 1 2. The microscope and its use 1 3. Summary of the process of image formation in the microscope 3 Lamp colector lens and condensers 3 4. Kohler ilumination 7 5. Resolution in the microscope 10 6. Magnification 14 7. Interim sumary 14 8. Contrast methods 16 Bright-field 16 Dark-field 17 Phase-contrast 23 Diferential interference contrast (DIC) 25 Fluorescence microscopy 26 Provisional summary of contrast techniques 28 Summary of contrast techniques 29 9. Recording the image 29 Microscope/camera atachments 30 Sumary 37 Acknowledgements 43 References 43 2. Introduction to confocal microscopy 45 P. J. Shaw 1. Introduction 45 2. The problem of out-of-focus light 46 The confocal principle: explanation by ray optics 47