Chapter 8
Sample Preparation
Techniques and Equipment
Microscopy is used in many fields and microscopes are useful for different
types of imaging. Samples may be cells – living or dead, tissue, fluids like
blood, microorganisms including parasites and viruses, as well as little
fellows from the area of biology, zoology and botany – or solid specimens such
as different materials. If you need to choose a suitable microscopy and therefore
preparation technique, you need to know what details you want to see from your
sample, how large it is, and in what condition.
Requirements for Transmitted Light
Brightfield Microscopy
There are many different forms of microscopy techniques. One of the key
techniques is transmitted light brightfield microscopy. Here, the specimen is illuminated
with a beam of light that passes through it. There are certain requirements
for those samples:
✔✔Cells are kept in living conditions.
✔✔Samples need to be transparent, otherwise the brightest illumination will
keep you in the dark.
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preparation options for light microscopy
Wet, dry, smeared or squashed specimen
Buying prepared slides