The specimen can be viewed live and internal structures can be visualized. It is used to generate 3-dimensional (3D) and 4D datasets.
This is a C. elegans embryo
at the 2-cell stage. The bigger cell at the left is AB cell and the smaller at the right is P1 cell. DIC imaging possesses certain advantages that will be explained in the bioclips below.
(Phase vs DIC, 50 KB, movie length: 10″)
(Shear Axis in DIC Imaging, 140 KB, movie length: 46″)
(DIC Optical Section, 2.5 MB, movie length: 37″)
(4Dimensional DIC Imaging, 2 MB, movie length: 56″)