Monday, March 05, 2007

Brightfield microscopes are what most people visualize when they think of a microscope, where the image is formed due to the absorbing properties of the imaged objects. Brightfield illumination has been one of the most widely used observation modes in optical microscopy for the past 300 years. Brightfield microscopy is when the illumination is unaltered both before and after hitting the sample. The technique is best suited for utilization with fixed, stained specimens or other kinds of samples that naturally absorb significant amounts of visible light. . Images produced with brightfield illumination appear dark and/or highly colored against a bright, often light gray or white, background. Bright Field microscopes can be upright microscopes or inverted microscopes in design and are most effective when used with samples that are stained, or samples that naturally contrast with the background or mounting medium in color, morphology or both