A very important tool used in the biotechnology laboratory is fluorescence. Fluorescent molecules can be used directly
or attached to other molecules to determine the locations of certain structures within the cell, the presence of certain membrane
constituents on the cell exterior (for the identification of cell type), or used by themselves to verify a certain activity within the
cell (such as enzyme activity). This chapter will explain what fluorescence is, how certain fluorescence properties can be
harnessed to yield meaningful data, and how pairs of fluorophores are used in conjunction for a technique.
