ABSTRACT
A discussion of this inclusive property of the value of the fluorescence lifetime, which makes the fluorescence lifetime so valuable, will hopefully lead to new, innovative experiments on specific biological systems. This property of the lifetime is one of the major reasons for performing FLIM measurements. We also survey the present methods of FLIM instrumentation and discuss their comparative advantages. Detailed descriptions of FLIM are not the focus of this chapter. The reader should consult the other chapters for in-depth discussions of the different aspects and methods of FLIM.
