Ronald J Oldfield, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Published online: April 2001
DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002989
Differential interference contrast (DIC) is a technique in light microscopy that maintains high resolving power because it introduces contrast optically into images of transparent specimens. The image is characterized by a three-dimensional appearance (a pseudo-relief) in which contrast and colour may be varied.
Keywords: contrast enhancement; DIC; light microscope; optical sectioning; pseudo-relief
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Figure 1. A diagrammatic representation of the transmitted-light Nomarski DIC system.
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Figure 2. Epithelial cheek cells in phase contrast (a), in DIC pseudo-relief adjusted for most effective contrast (b), and in DIC adjusted for the zero or ‘dark-field’ position (c). The bar represents 10 m.
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Figure 3. Cultured fibroblasts from Monodelphus domestica: phase contrast (a), compared with DIC. (b, c). In the two very different DIC images, the same focus has been maintained but the shearing direction has been rotated through 90° (equivalent to rotating the specimen through 90°). The bar represents 10 m.
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| Further Reading | |
| book Inoué S and Spring KR (1997) Video Microscopy. The Fundamentals, 2nd edn. New York: Plenum Press. | |
| book Oldfield R (1994) Light Microscopy. An Illustrated Guide. London: Wolfe Publications. | |
| book Pluta M (1989) Specialised Methods. Advanced Light Microscopy, vol. 2. Amsterdam: Elsevier. | |
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