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Glossary
A
- Abbe condenser
- aberration
- achromat objective
- achromatic condenser
- achromatic doublet
- achromatic lens
- achromatic-aplanatic condenser
- acousto-optic deflector
- acousto-optic modulator (AOM)
- acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF)
- air objective
- Airy beam
- Airy disc
- Airy disk
- Airy pattern
- Airy unit (AU)
- aliasing
- amplitude point-spread function (APSF)
- amplitude transfer function (ATF)
- amplitude-spread function
- analog image
- analyzer
- angle of incidence
- angle of view
- angular aperture
- angular size
- anisotropy
- apertometer
- aperture
- aperture diaphragm
- aperture plane
- aperture stop (AS)
- aplanatic
- aplanatic condenser
- apochromat objective
- apodized dark high phase contrast objective (ADH)
- apodized dark low phase contrast objective (ADL)
- apodized dark medium phase contrast objective (ADM)
- apodized phase contrast
- area detector
- areal magnification
- array-scanning confocal microscopy
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- artificial neural network (ANN)
- asphere
- aspheric lens
- aspherical lens
- assisted reproductive technology (ART)
- astigmatism
- attenuation coefficient
- auto correction collar (ACC)
- autofluorescence
- autofocus (AF)
- avalanche photo diode (APD)
- averaging
- axial chromatic aberration
- axial illumination
- axial magnification
- axial resolution
B
- back focal plane (BFP)
- background subtraction
- bandpass filter (BPF)
- barrel distortion
- barrier filter
- beamsplitter (BS)
- Bertrand diaphragm
- Bertrand lens
- Bessel beam
- biaxial material
- binning
- binocular microscope
- binocular tube
- birefringence
- blur circle
- blur spot
- body tube
- Bragg cell
- bright medium phase contrast objective (BM)
- brightfield
- brightness (fluorophore)
- brightness (objective lens)
- Brillouin microscopy
- Brillouin scattering
- broad-bandpass filter
- bulb
C
- camera
- cardinal points
- cardioid condenser
- catadioptric
- catoptric
- cell culture
- cell painting
- centering nosepiece
- centering stage
- centering telescope
- CF objective (CF)
- CFI60 objective (CFI60)
- CFI75 objective (CFI75)
- CFI90 objective (CFI90)
- channel
- characteristic rays
- charge coupled device (CCD)
- chief ray
- chromatic aberration
- chromatic distortion
- circle of confusion
- circle of indistinctness
- circle of least confusion
- circularly-polarized light
- coarse focus adjustment
- coarse focusing
- coherence
- coherent
- coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering microscopy (CARS)
- coherent imaging system
- coherent spread function
- coherent transfer function
- collector
- collector lens
- collimation
- colocalization
- color balance filter
- color contrast filter
- color conversion filter
- color filter
- coma
- comatic aberration
- common main objective stereomicroscope (CMO)
- comparison microscope
- compensating eyepiece
- compensator
- complex pupil function
- compound microscope
- computational microscopy
- condenser
- condenser aperture
- condenser aperture diaphragm
- condenser aperture stop
- confocal
- confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
- confocal microscopy
- confocal point-spread function
- confocal scanner unit (CSU)
- confocal theta microscopy
- confocal volume
- conjugate planes
- conjugate points
- conoscopic figure
- conoscopic interference pattern
- conoscopy
- contrast
- contrast transfer function (CTF)
- contrasting technique
- cooling stage
- correction
- correction class
- correction collar
- cover glass
- cover slip
- coverglass
- coverslip
- coverslip correction
- critical illumination
- crossed polarizers
- crystal optics
- curvature of field
- curvature of image field
- cutoff frequency
D
- dark low low phase contrast objective (DLL)
- dark low phase contrast objective (DL)
- dark medium phase contrast objective (DM)
- darkfield
- darkfield condenser
- darkfield stop
- dead pixel
- deconvolution
- deep learning (DL)
- depth of field
- depth of focus
- descanning
- detection path
- detection waveband
- detector
- diaphragm
- diascopic illumination
- dichroic
- dichroic filter
- dichroic mirror
- dichromatic mirror
- differential interference contrast (DIC)
- diffracted light
- diffraction
- diffraction barrier
- diffraction grating
- diffraction limit
- diffraction limit of resolving power
- diffraction pattern
- diffuser
- digital holographic microscopy (DHM)
- digital image
- digital micromirror device (DMD)
- digital pathology
- Digital Sight series cameras
- digital zoom
- digitally enhanced contrast
- diopter
- dioptric
- direct light
- disk of confusion
- dispersion
- dispersion curve
- dispersion relation
- dispersion staining (DS)
- dispersion staining objective
- dissecting microscope
- distortion
- DNA-PAINT
- double refraction
- dry objective
E
- elastic scattering
- electro-optic effect
- electromagnetic spectrum (EM)
- electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD)
- electrophysiology
- elliptically-polarized light
- emission
- emission filter
- emitter filter
- empty magnification
- enhanced resolution (NIS-Elements) (ER)
- entrance pupil of the microscope
- epi-illumination
- epi-illuminator
- epifluorescence microscope
- episcopic illumination
- episcopic illuminator
- episcopic microscope
- excitation
- excitation filter
- excitation waveband
- excitation wavelength
- exciter filter
- exit pupil of the microscope
- expansion microscopy (ExM)
- exposure
- extended depth of field microscopy (EDoF)
- extended depth of focus image (EDF)
- external diaphragm eyepiece
- extinction
- extinction coefficient
- extinction ratio
- extra-long working distance objective (ELWD)
- extraordinary ray
- extraordinary wave
- eye lens
- eye relief
- eyepiece
- eyepiece diopter adjustment
- eyepiece field diaphragm
- eyepiece field number
- eyepiece field of view
- eyepiece field stop
- eyepiece flange
- eyepiece focus adjustment
- eyepiece locating surface
- eyepiece parfocal distance
- eyepiece-locating observation tube flange
- eyepoint height
F
- f-number (f/#)
- f-ratio
- f-stop
- fast axis
- fiber optic illuminator
- field curvature
- field diaphragm
- field lens
- field number (FN)
- field of view (FOV)
- field plane
- field stop (FS)
- filament lamp
- filar eyepiece
- filar micrometer
- filter
- final image
- fine focus adjustment
- fine focusing
- finite intermediate image distance objective
- first order compensator
- first order red
- first order red compensator
- first order retardation plate
- first order yellow
- fixed focal length objective
- fixed tube length system
- flat-field objective
- fluorescence
- fluorescence correlation microscopy (FCM)
- fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS)
- fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS)
- fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
- fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)
- fluorescence microscopy
- fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP)
- fluorite objective
- fluorochrome
- fluorophore
- focal adjustment
- focal distance
- focal length
- focal plane
- focal point
- focal ratio
- focal ray
- focal volume
- focus
- focus series
- focusing
- focusing mechanism
- Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)
- four-wave mixing (FWM)
- Fourier optics
- Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM)
- Fourier ptychography
- Fourier space
- Fourier transform (FT)
- frame averaging
- free working distance (FWD)
- frequency domain
- frequency doubling
- frequency space
- frequency tripling
- front focal plane (FFP)
- full wave retardation plate
- full-wave plate
G
- GaAsP photomultiplier tube (GaAsP PMT)
- Gaussian beam
- Gaussian optics
- generalized pupil function
- geometric optics
- geometric phase
- geometrical optics
- gliding stage
- glycerin immersion objectives
- gout testing
- gradient-index lens (GRIN)
- graphical user interface (GUI)
- graticule
- Greenough stereomicroscope
- ground glass
- ground truth
H
- half-wave compensator
- half-wave plate
- halo
- halo effect
- halogen illuminator
- halogen lamp
- hardware against software piracy (HASP)
- hardware-triggered acquisition
- heat filter
- heated stage
- heating stage
- hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
- high content
- high content imaging
- high content microscopy
- high content screening
- high power objective (HP)
- high throughput
- high throughput imaging
- high throughput screening
- high-eyepoint eyepiece
- Hoffman modulation contrast
- homogenous immersion
- hot mirror
- hot pixel
- Huygenian eyepiece
- Huygens eyepiece
I
- ibn-Sahl law
- illuminated field
- illuminated field diaphragm
- illuminated field stop
- illuminating aperture
- illuminating aperture diaphragm
- illuminating aperture stop
- illumination
- illumination optical path
- illumination path
- illuminator
- image
- image based autofocus
- image field
- image intensifier
- image intensifier tube
- image plane
- image restoration
- image scanning microscopy (ISM)
- image space
- image stack
- image stitching
- image tiling
- image-forming planes
- imaging aperture
- imaging modality
- immersion
- immersion lens
- immersion medium
- immersion objective
- in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- incident optical unit (IOU)
- incoherent imaging system
- index ellipsoid
- inelastic scattering
- infinity correction
- infinity objective
- infinity optical system
- infinity-corrected objective
- infrared
- infrared absorption microscopy
- infrared differential interference contrast (IR-DIC)
- infrared filter
- infrared light
- infrared microscopy
- infrared microspectroscopy
- infrared radiation
- intensity
- intensity point-spread function (PSF)
- interfacing dimensions
- interference
- interference colors
- interference contrast
- interference filter
- interferometry
- intermediate image
- intermediate image plane
- intermediate lens
- intermediate tube
- internal-diaphragm eyepiece
- interpupillary distance
- intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI)
- intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- inverted microscope
- IR filter
- iris diaphragm
L
- label-free
- lamp
- large field-of-view (L-FOV)
- laser
- laser scanning microscope (LSM)
- laser tweezers
- lateral chromatic aberration
- lateral magnification
- lateral resolution
- law of refraction
- lens
- levelling stage
- light
- light diffuser
- light emitting diode (LED)
- light field microscopy (LFM)
- light meter
- light microscope
- light path
- light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM)
- light source
- line averaging
- line-scanning
- line-scanning confocal microscopy
- linear array sensor
- linear measurements
- linear polarizer
- linearly-polarized light
- live cell imaging
- localization microscopy
- locating flange
- locating flange of eyepiece
- locating flange of the objective
- locating surface
- long working distance objective (LWD)
- longitudinal magnification
- longitudinal resolution
- longpass filter
M
- magnification
- magnification changer
- magnification of an eyepiece
- magnified analysis of proteome
- magnifier
- marginal ray
- marking of optical components
- mass extinction coefficient
- maximum intensity projection (MIP)
- mechanical stage
- mechanical tube length
- mercury arc lamp
- mercury lamp
- metal-halide arc lamp
- Michel Lévy chart
- Michel-Lévy color chart
- microchannel plate (MCP)
- micrograph
- microinjection
- microlens
- micromanipulator
- micrometer
- micrometer eyepiece
- micrometer screw eyepiece
- micrometry
- microphotography
- microprojector
- microscope
- microscope base
- microscope entrance pupil
- microscope exit pupil
- microscope field-of-view
- microscope image
- microscope lamp
- microscope stand
- microtome
- Mie scattering
- minimum resolvable distance
- mirror
- modulation contrast
- modulation transfer function (MTF)
- Moiré fringes
- Moiré patterns
- molar absorption coefficient
- monochromat
- monochromatic aberrations
- monochromatic radiation
- monocular microscope
- monocular tube
- mounting medium
- multi-alkali photomultiplier tube (MA PMT)
- multi-immersion objective (MI)
- multi-mode fiber
- multi-view fusion
- multialkali PMT
- multidimensional image dataset
- multiphoton
- multiphoton excitation
- multiphoton microscopy
- multiple-beam interference
N
- nanoscopy
- narrow-band filter
- narrow-bandpass filter
- near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)
- near-infrared DIC
- near-infrared radiation (NIR)
- negative phase contrast
- negative phase contrast microscopy
- Nelsonian illumination
- neural net
- neural network
- neutral density filter (ND)
- Newton's colors
- Nicol prism
- Nikon advanced modulation contrast (NAMC)
- Nikon Bioimaging Lab (NBIL)
- Nikon emboss contrast
- Nipkow disk
- Nipkow disk confocal microscopy
- NIR-DIC
- NIS-Elements
- no cover glass objective (NCG)
- nodal points
- noise
- Nomarski differential interference contrast (DIC)
- Nomarski prism
- non-descanned detection (NDD)
- non-linear optics (NLO)
- normal tube lens
- nosepiece
- nosepiece flange
- nosepiece locating surface
- nosepiece turret
- numerical aperture (NA)
- Nyquist criterion
- Nyquist sampling
- Nyquist-Shannon sampling
O
- object
- object field
- object marker
- object plane
- object space
- object to primary image distance
- object-side aperture
- objective field number
- objective flange
- objective lens
- objective lens color codes
- objective lens field number (OFN)
- objective locating surface
- objective parfocal distance
- objective screw thread
- objective shoulder
- objective spectral transmittance by design (OSTD)
- objective-locating nosepiece flange
- objective-locating nosepiece surface
- oblique illumination
- observation tube
- ocular
- oil immersion objective
- one-photon excitation (1PE)
- optic axis
- optical aberration
- optical axis
- optical clearing
- optical coating
- optical coherence microscopy (OCM)
- optical coherence tomography (OCT)
- optical diffraction tomography (ODT)
- optical diffuser
- optical dispersion
- optical indicatrix
- optical interfacing dimensions of the microscope
- optical low-coherence reflectometry
- optical microscope
- optical path difference
- optical path length (OPL)
- optical path length difference (OPD)
- optical rotation
- optical section
- optical train
- optical transfer function (OTF)
- optical trap
- optical tube length
- optical tweezers
- optogenetics
- ordinary ray
- organ-chip
- organ-on-a-chip
- organ-on-chip (OOC)
- organoid
- overcorrection
- oversampling
P
- Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase
- pancratic condenser
- parallel polarizers
- parallel ray
- paraxial approximation
- parfocality
- parfocalizing distance of the eyepiece
- parfocalizing distance of the objective
- patch-clamp recording
- perfect focus system (PFS)
- perfect lens
- Petzval curvature
- Petzval field curvature
- phase
- phase annulus
- phase contrast
- phase contrast condenser
- phase contrast microscopy
- phase difference
- phase object
- phase plate
- phase telescope
- phase transfer function (PTF)
- phenotypic screening
- photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM)
- photobleaching
- photoconversion
- photodiode
- photographic projection lens
- photomacrography
- photomicrograph
- photomicrography
- photomultiplier tube (PMT)
- photostimulation
- phototoxicity
- physical optics
- pincushion distortion
- pinhole
- pinhole crosstalk
- pixel
- pixel binning
- pixel size
- plan achromat objective
- plan objective
- plane wave
- plane-polarized light
- Poincaré sphere
- point detection
- point detector
- point source
- point-scanning
- point-scanning confocal microscopy
- point-spread function (PSF)
- point-spread function engineering
- pointer eyepiece
- pointillist microscopy
- polarization extinction ratio
- polarization microscope
- polarization microscopy
- polarized light
- polarized light microscope
- polarized light microscopy (PLM)
- polarizer
- polarizing beamsplitter
- polarizing filter
- polarizing interference
- polarizing prism
- polychromatic radiation
- positive phase contrast
- positive phase contrast microscopy
- PreciPoint series
- primary diffraction pattern
- primary fluorescence
- primary image
- primary image plane
- principal planes
- principal points
- principal ray
- prism
- projection factor
- projection lens
- pupil
- pupil function
R
- radiation
- Raman microscopy
- Raman scattering
- Ramsden disc
- Ramsden eyepiece
- raster scanning
- ratiometric imaging
- ray
- ray optics
- ray tracing
- Rayleigh scattering
- real image
- real space
- real time imaging
- rear focal plane
- reciprocal space
- reference plane
- reference viewing distance
- reflected-light based autofocus
- reflected-light microscope
- reflection
- refraction
- refractive index (RI)
- regenerative medicine
- region of interest (ROI)
- relay lens
- relief contrast
- resolution
- resolved distance
- resolving power
- resonant scanning
- retardation
- retardation plate
- reticle
- revolving nosepiece
- RMS thread
- rotating stage
S
- sample
- sample plane
- sampling
- sampling rate
- SbNa2KCs PMT
- scale bar
- scan rate
- scanned field
- scanning
- scanning microscope
- scanning near-field microscope
- scanning optical microscope
- scanning stage
- scattering
- scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector (sCMOS)
- screen
- second harmonic generation microscopy (SHG)
- second order blue
- selective plane illumination microscopy
- semi-apochromat objective
- sensitive tint plate
- shading correction
- shearing interference
- shortpass filter
- silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)
- silicone immersion objective
- simple microscope
- single element detector
- single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM)
- single pixel photon counter array
- single-beam gradient force trap
- single-mode fiber
- single-photon avalanche diode array (SPAD)
- slide
- slide scanning
- slit-scanning
- slow axis
- small-angle approximation
- Snell–Descartes law
- Snell's law
- software development kit (SDK)
- software-triggered acquisition
- solid angle
- source
- source-focused illumination
- sparkle
- spatial cutoff frequency
- spatial frequency
- spatial frequency domain
- spatial light modulator (SLM)
- spatial resolution
- spatial transcriptomics
- spatially coherent illumination
- specimen
- specimen plane
- specimen scanning
- spectral imaging microscopy
- spherical aberration
- spherical wave
- spherochromatism
- spinning disk confocal microscopy (SDCM)
- spot-scanning
- spring-loaded objective
- stage
- stage clip
- stage micrometer
- stage scanning
- stand
- stereomicroscope
- stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED)
- stimulated raman scattering microscopy (SRS)
- stitching
- stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM)
- stop
- strain-free
- stray light
- structured illumination microscopy (SIM)
- stuck pixels
- substage
- substage condenser
- super fluor objective
- super-long working distance objective (SLWD)
- super-resolution (SR)
- super-resolution objective
- super-resolution structured illumination microscopy
- superposition principle
- swing-out top lens condenser
T
- temporal resolution
- temporally coherent illumination
- test object
- thin-film filter
- third harmonic generation microscopy (THG)
- three-photon excitation (3PE)
- tiling
- time lapse imaging
- tissue clearing
- tissue culture
- total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF)
- total magnification
- total magnification of a microscope
- training (machine learning)
- transmittance
- transmitted light illumination (diascopic illumination)
- transverse magnification
- trinocular tube
- tube
- tube factor
- tube length
- tube lens
- tube lens focal distance
- tube lens focal length
- tungsten-halogen lamp
- two-beam interference
- two-photon excitation (2PE)
- Glossary