Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

This chapter attempts to lay the foundation for understanding the general principle of the optical method. Then it highlights some key elements of the current systems of confocal microscopy with emphasis on their role and operating principle. It offers a few illustrative examples to describe and discuss the advantages and limitations inherent in this method when used with biological media. It includes a brief introduction recalling some notions of biology and fluorescent labeling. Finally, the chapter briefly describes the main derived or related techniques. It focuses in particular on nonlinear contrast microscopy and concludes by referring to the latest advances that have enabled us to achieve optical resolutions below the diffraction limit. Controlled Vocabulary Terms biological techniques; near-field scanning optical microscopy; optical microscopes; optical scanners