Birefringence In Biological Materials

Michael W. Kaplan

doi:10.1117/12.955551

19 October 1977 Birefringence In Biological Materials

Michael W. Kaplan

Proceedings Volume 0112, Optical Polarimetry: Instrumentation and Applications; (1977) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955551
Event: 21st Annual Technical Symposium, 1977, San Diego, United States

Abstract

The polarizing microscope has been used to reveal submicroscopic organization in biological materials for over a century. Examples of intrinsic, form, stress and anomalous dispersion birefringence have all been found, sometimes in the same cell. A major advantage of birefringence analysis is that cells can be studied in their native state. Also, structural gradients can sometimes be seen within a cell that are not detected using other physical or anatomical methods. On the other hand, the technique is non-specific, so experiments must be carefully designed to extract information about molecular level organization. Our current insight into the structure of biological membranes had its beginnings in birefringence analyses of the multi-membrane layers found in myelin sheaths and retinal rod outer segments. Recent studies of rod outer segments have shown that the internal ordering of membrane components can change as the membrane ages. Since birefringence can be monitored in viable cells, the technique has been applied to a variety of excitable tissues. Membrane-potential dependent structure changes have been found in nerve and muscle. In rod outer segments, complex birefringence changes are initiated when light is absorbed by visual pigments. Birefringence studies may therefore eventually provide insights into membrane function as well as structure.

Citation Download Citation

Michael W. Kaplan "Birefringence In Biological Materials", Proc. SPIE 0112, Optical Polarimetry: Instrumentation and Applications, (19 October 1977); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955551

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