CREATING COLOR-CONTRAST IN LIGHT-MICROSCOPY OF LIVING ORGANISMS

An inexpensive method is described for converting an ordinary light mi croscope into a polarised light microscope, permitting a little known polarised light technique to be implemented that gives marked colour-c ontrast in biological specimens. The images produced by this technique are both beautiful and informative; the colours depending on the mole cular orientation and organisation within the specimen. The technique uses a full wave plate set at a smell angle to the transmission axis o f the analyser, rather then at an angle of 45 degrees as commonly empl oyed in mineralogical microscopy. The physics of the technique is expl ained and some examples of the use to which it may be put are given. i i is hoped that it will be of educational value since it combines biol ogy and microscopy with the physics of light and waves in vividly colo urful images.