What are the characteristics of Dark field microscopy?
Dark field microscopy may be adapted as a dark field microscope by adding a special disc called a stop to the condenser. The stop blocks all light from entering the objective lens except peripheral light that is reflected off the sides of the specimen itself. The resulting image is particularly striking of brightly illuminated specimens surrounded by a dark (block) field. The most effective use of dark¬field microscopy is to visualize unstained living cells that would be distorted by drying or heat.
