Specimen Name: Microscope Name: Magnification Level: Elodea Standard Fluorescence Microscope - Dye B 500x

Copyright BioScope Initiative 2001

In this image, the nucleus of the tooth-shaped cell is most clearly in focus. The nuclei of the cells below the tooth-shaped cell look like large fuzzy blue circles because they are out of focus. The standard fluorescence microscope cannot block light that is out of focus. Light from above and below the plane of focus blur the image you see within standard fluorescence microscopes. Compare the images of Elodea taken with the standard fluorescence and confocal microscopes.