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  • Milestones
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Milestone 5

Finding phase

Phase contrast microscopy

Nature Cell Biology volume 11, page S9 (2009)Cite this article

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Through a series of experiments, Zernike came to understand that the direct light and the diffracted light were actually in different phases. When the telescope was focused on the gratings, the resulting image, created through interference, was rendered invisible because, unlike changes in amplitude or brightness, the eye cannot pick up phase differences. But Zernike knew that the phase differences contained information about the object of interest, and realized that he would need an adequate reference surface if he were to make use of it.

... Zernike was able to visualize otherwise transparent objects without the need for a stain.

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PRIMARY REFERENCES

  1. Zernike, F. Das Phasenkontrastverfahren bei der mikroskopischen Beobachtung. Z. technische Physik 16, 454–457 (1935)

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  2. Zernike, F. Phase contrast, a new method for the microscopic observation of transparent objects. Physica 9, 974–986 (1942)

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  1. Technology Editor, Nature and Nature Methods,

    Nathan Blow

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  1. Nathan Blow
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Blow, N. Finding phase. Nat Cell Biol 11 (Suppl 1), S9 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1942

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