Physical- Optical Methods in Histochemistry: Instruments

Abstract

In general the instrumentation used on the field is relatively complex. Many different types of techniques are being used. It is of importance for the future development that already now attention is focused on the fact that the combined use of different techniques often very greatly widens the field of applicability of quantitative cytochemistry to cell-physiological problems over that which individual techniques can give. Methods involving principles from very different realms of physical optics are being used and the concept is here taken in its widest sense to include also X-ray techniques and electron microscopic procedures. — It is not feasible within the time limits, even in a general way, to survey all instrumentation available at present. In accordance with what is said above the most important fields of approach have been selected and on each of these individual fields one or a small number of reports will present for the field typical working lines and furnish the starting point for discussion.