ABSTRACT
Fluorescence microscopy has become an essential tool in biology as well as in materials science as it has attributes that are not readily available in other optical microscopy techniques. The use of an array of fluorochromes has made it possible to identify cells and submicroscopic cellular components and entities with a high degree of specificity amid nonfluorescing material. In a sample, through the use of multiple staining, different probes can simultaneously identify several target molecules. This entry discusses the fundamentals and components of the fluorescence microscope.
