Biological Imaging
Biological Imaging - Related Videos
09:02
SEM Imaging of Biological Samples
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2023
Source: Peiman Shahbeigi-Roodposhti and Sina Shahbazmohamadi, Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is an instrument that uses an electron beam to nondestructively image and characterize conductive materials in a vacuum. As an analogy, an electron beam is to the SEM as light is to the optical microscope. The difference is that the electron microscope yields images of much higher resolution and magnification. The...
10:48
Imaging Biological Samples with Optical and Confocal Microscopy
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2023
Source: Peiman Shahbeigi-Roodposhti and Sina Shahbazmohamadi, Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut Optical microscopes have been around for centuries, and while they reached their theoretical limitation of resolution decades ago, new equipment and techniques, such as confocal and digital image processing, have created new niches within the field of optical imaging. The best optical microscopes will typically have a resolution down to 200 nm in ideal...
08:57
High Resolution 3D Imaging of Ex-Vivo Biological Samples by Micro CT
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Cited by 13 •
2011
Non-destructive volume visualization can be achieved only by tomographic techniques, of which the most efficient is the x-ray micro computerized tomography ( CT).
06:21
Imaging of Biological Tissues by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
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Cited by 21 •
2013
Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is an ambient method by which samples, including biological tissues, can be imaged with minimal sample preparation. By rastering the sample below the ionization probe, this spray-based technique provides sufficient spatial resolution to discern molecular features of interest within tissue sections.
01:18
Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
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2023
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution. In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
FAQs
The choice depends on the structure or activity being examined and the scale of the investigation. Transmitted or reflected light can reveal visible organization, fluorescence can indicate labeled molecules, and ultrasound echoes, magnetic signals, or X-ray attenuation can provide other forms of biological information. Matching the detected signal to the question helps connect measurable images with structure or function.
Fluorescence provides a way to examine the localization of labeled molecules within cells, tissues, or other biological systems. Imaging instruments detect the emitted fluorescent signal and computational analysis can map where that signal appears. This makes molecular distribution measurable and supports studies of cell behavior, disease mechanisms, and responses to drugs when molecular position is central to the investigation.
Computational methods convert detected signals into interpretable two- or three-dimensional images and support quantitative analysis. They can help researchers measure molecular localization, map anatomy, and track changes across time rather than relying only on visual inspection. This analytical step links the instrument’s signal to biological outcomes that can be compared across cells, tissues, organs, or organisms.
Imaging can be applied from cellular structures to tissues, organs, and whole organisms, with the relevant scale determined by the research question. Smaller-scale measurements can address cell behavior or molecular localization, whereas broader views can reveal anatomy or physiological change. Using multiple scales helps connect local biological events with larger structural or functional patterns.
A typical workflow begins by selecting an instrument and detectable signal suited to the biological question. The system then records transmitted or reflected light, fluorescence, ultrasound echoes, magnetic signals, or X-ray attenuation. Computational processing converts those measurements into images, after which researchers analyze structure, localization, behavior, anatomy, or change over time.
Imaging is useful when researchers need to observe how biological structures or activities change during disease or after treatment. Measurements can reveal altered anatomy, shifts in molecular localization, changes in cell behavior, or broader physiological effects. Tracking these outcomes over time supports investigations of disease mechanisms and evaluation of how biological systems respond to drugs.
By combining structural visualization with measurements of activity, imaging connects observations made at different levels of organization. Researchers can examine molecular localization or cell behavior and relate those findings to tissue organization, organ anatomy, or whole-organism physiology. This cross-scale perspective helps explain how local biological processes contribute to broader developmental, disease-related, or functional changes.