ABSTRACT

Previous chapters in this handbook have extensively described new methods in the field of biophotonics and reviewed applications. The scope of this chapter is to present, from the biologist’s point of view, a synthesis of the current and potential applications of the previously described techniques. The chapter focuses on techniques that have been or are supposed to be used for studying a type of biomolecular event occurring on a specific intracellular organelle. The advantages and, of course, limitations of each method, as they appear in the light of present knowledge, will be pointed out. An effort will be made to show how some techniques are able to give simultaneous but selective information on biochemical events occurring at different sites of the cell.