Dark-field illumination

Description

A method of illumination for an optical microscope. In dark-field illumination, the central light beam is blocked, allowing light to intersect the specimen at an oblique angle then pass off to the side without reaching the condenser. This produces a bright specimen image with enhanced contrast against a dark background. An appropriate objective and condenser must be used for dark-field illumination.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Dunkelfeldbeleuchtung (Deut.); darkground

Authority

• Walter C. McCrone, John Gustave Delly, The Particle Atlas, W. McCrone Associates, Chicago, IV, 1972

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998