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A phase contrast microscope increases the contrast of objects on the stage, making them highly visible without the need for dyeing. It allows observers to see transparent structures of living cells and organisms without killing them. Frederik Zernike won the Nobel Prize for inventing this technique, which is mostly used in research laboratories due to its high cost.
A contrast microscope, more properly a phase contrast microscope, is a microscope with components that greatly increase the contrast of objects on the stage, making them highly visible. Using a contrast microscope allows someone to see clearly, viewing the structures involved in the object on stage, and this type of microscope also allows observers to see cells and organisms while they are still alive and going through their life cycles , a distinct advantage.
Many living cells have transparent or very close components. When viewed on a regular microscope, these components basically fade, making it impossible to see. One way to address this is to dye the organism, with the dye providing the contrast that brings out these structures. However, it can be difficult to dye samples, and the dying process can change cell structures as well as kill the organism, making it unsuitable for people who want to see living things under a microscope to better understand them.
Phase contrast microscopy is based on the fact that light changes as it passes through an object. Depending on the refractive index of various parts of a cell, light will slow down as it passes, moving “out of phase,” as it’s known. With a special filter known as a phase plate between the sample and the eyepiece to amplify this change, the researcher will be able to see the transparent structures clearly without having to dye the sample.
The differences between a phase contrast microscope and a regular microscope can seem night and day. A relatively dull slide will suddenly teem with life when viewed under a contrast microscope, and the detailed and delicate structures of organisms and cells will suddenly become visible when they weren’t before. Using contrast microscopy, scientists can observe microorganisms as they go through their life cycles and can also study the detailed anatomy of those organisms.
The inventor of the phase contrast technique, Frederik Zernike, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1953 for his efforts. Contrast microscopy can be significantly more expensive than other types of light microscopy because it requires special equipment. As a result, phase contrast microscopes are usually only seen in specialized settings such as research laboratories. Students in high-level science courses at colleges and universities may be given the opportunity to work with such microscopes in their research and to learn more about the field.
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