• Question: what are florescent microscopes and why do you use them?

    Asked by Curly Kid to Ali on 20 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Alison Thomson

      Alison Thomson answered on 20 Nov 2014:

      Fluorescent microscopes use lasers to show fluorescent colours that we can’t naturally see with our eyes. By shining a blue laser at some green fluorophores, they will show up bright green! And shining a green laser and red flurophores will make them show up bright red!

      I use microscopes a lot – I look for certain types of cells in tissues, so i attach fluorescent markers to them and then look to see if they are there through the microscope.

Comments