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A Critical Method of measuring the Diameter of Living Bacteria with the Interference Microscope

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Abstract

WITH an ordinary microscope, the accuracy of measurement is limited by the numerical aperture of the optical system and the wave-length of the light used, and it is scarcely possible to determine the dimensions of an object more accurately than to the nearest 0.4µ. Consequently, the size of very small objects such as living bacteria can only be estimated roughly by direct measurement.

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References

  1. Barer, R., Ross, K. F. A., and Tkaczyk, S., Nature, 171, 720 (1953).

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  2. Ross, K. F. A. (1952), quoted by Barer, R., and Joseph, S., Quart. J. Micro. Sci., 96, 1 (1955).

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  3. Smith, F. H., Nature, 173, 362 (1954).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Science, Wye College, University of London,

    K. F. A. ROSS

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  1. K. F. A. ROSS
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ROSS, K. A Critical Method of measuring the Diameter of Living Bacteria with the Interference Microscope. Nature 176, 1076–1077 (1955). https://doi.org/10.1038/1761076a0

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