Department of Molecular Physiology

Our interests

Fluorescence microscopes have two light sources: one lamp for looking at the specimen in normal, transmitted light, and a second lamp supplies intense light for fluorescence excitation (epifluorescence illumination). To select the appropriate wavelength for excitation, an excitation filter is inserted into the light path. This filter permits transmission of light only within a narrow bandwidth, usually about 10 nm.  The excitation light is guided to a dichroic mirror within the microscope which rerflects it toward the cell. Dichroic mirrors reflect light below a critical wavelength and transmit longer-wavelength light. The right choice of the mirror is one that reflects the excitation light while transmitting the fluorescence light. Fluorescence coming from the cell thus passes the mirror and reaches the eyepiece of the microscope. An emission filter takes out stray light, so that the eye receives only the fluorescence.