Fundamental Concepts in Confocal Microscopy

Confocal microscopy offers several advantages over conventional optical microscopy, including controllable depth of field, the elimination of image degrading out-of-focus information, and the ability to collect serial optical sections from thick specimens. The key to the confocal approach is the use of spatial filtering to eliminate out-of-focus light or flare in specimens that are thicker than the plane of focus. There has been a tremendous explosion in the popularity of confocal microscopy in recent years, due in part to the relative ease with which extremely high-quality images can be obtained from specimens prepared for conventional optical microscopy, and in its great number of applications in many areas of current research interest.
Review Articles
Interactive Tutorials
  • Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy
    A virtual microscope tutorial featuring a wide variety of specimens. Examine the effects of altering gain, scanning speeds, axial focus, brightness, and pinhole size.
Digital Image and Video Galleries

Contributing Authors

Kenneth W. Dunn and Exing Wang - Department of Medicine, Indiana University, School of Medicine, 1120 South Drive, FH115, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5116.

Stephen W. Paddock, Eric J. Hazen, and Peter J. DeVries - Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.

James B. Pawley - Department of Zoology, 1117 W. Johnson Dr., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.

Matthew Parry-Hill, Thomas J. Fellers, and Michael W. Davidson - National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 East Paul Dirac Dr., The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310.
Nikon A1 Confocal Microscope