| optical | 1. Of or pertaining to vision or sight. "The moon, whose orb Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views." (Milton) 2. Of or pertaining to the eye; ocular; as, the optic nerves (the first pair of cranial nerves) which are distributed to the retina. 3. Relating to the science of optics; as, optical works. <optics> Optic angle, a graduated circle used for the measurement of angles in optical experiments. Optical square, a surveyor's instrument with reflectors for laying off right angles. Origin: F. Optique, Gr.; akin to sight, I have seen, I shall see, and to the two eyes, face, L. Oculus eye. See Ocular, Eye, and cf. Canopy, Ophthalmia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| optical aberration | Failure of rays from a point source to form a perfect image after traversing an optical system. (05 Mar 2000) |
| optical activity | The ability of a material to rotate the plane of polarized light. (09 Oct 1997) |
| optical antipode | <chemistry> A pair of chiral isomers (stereoisomers) that are direct, nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other. (09 Jan 1998) |
| optical axis | <physics> The line passing through both the centres of curvature of the optical surfaces of a lens, the optical centreline for all the centres of a lens system. (09 Oct 1997) |
| optical density | 1. <chemistry, investigation> Absorbance is defined as a logarithmic function of the percent transmission of a wavelength of light through a liquid. 2. <microbiology> This can be used as a measure of the amount of light absorbed by a suspension of bacterial cells or a solution of an organic molecule, it is measured by a colourimeter or spectrophotometer. Absorbance values are used to plot the growth of bacteria in suspension cultures and to gauge the purity and concentration of molecules (such as proteins) in solution. See: absorption. (15 Jan 1998) |
| optical diffraction | A technique used to obtain information about repeating patterns. Diffraction of visible light can be used to calculate spacings in the object. (18 Nov 1997) |
| optical flat | <microscopy> Usually, a glass or quartz plate or disk, the thickness of which should be at least 1/10 of its diameter. It is ground until any remaining unevenness can be measured only by interferometric methods. Their maximum departure from flatness usually is less than 1/10 of the sodium doublet (589.3 nm). (05 Aug 1998) |
| optical illusions | An illusion of vision usually affecting spatial relations. (12 Dec 1998) |
| optical image | An image formed by the refraction or reflection of light. (05 Mar 2000) |
| optical index | <microscopy> A constant applied to objectives for purposes of comparison. It takes into account the focal length or magnifying power of the lens and also the numerical aperture. It was offered by Nelson and by Coles, but little use has been made of the optical index figure, probably because the equations of the two men differed and the resulting figures have been at variance. (05 Aug 1998) |
| optical iridectomy | Iridectomy performed for the purpose of improving vision by making an artificial pupil. Peripheral iridectomy, in narrow-angle glaucoma, the surgical removal of a minute portion of the iris at its root; in intracapsular extraction of cataract, removal of one or more minute sections near the peripheral border, leaving the pupillary margin intact. Synonym: buttonhole iridectomy, stenopeic iridectomy. Sector iridectomy, an iridectomy in which a portion of the pupillary margin is excised. (05 Mar 2000) |
| optical isomerism | Stereoisomerism involving the arrangement of substituents about an asymmetric atom or atoms (usually carbon) so that there is a difference in the behaviour of the various isomers with regard to the extent of their rotation of the plane of polarised light. Compare: stereoisomerism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| optical isomers | Isomers differing only in the spatial arrangement of groups around a central atom. Optical isomers rotate the plane of polarized light in different directions. For all biological molecules in which the possibility of optical isomerism exists, only one of the isomers is functional. (18 Nov 1997) |
| optical keratoplasty | Transplantation of transparent corneal tissue to replace a leukoma or scar that impairs vision. (05 Mar 2000) |
| axis, optical | <microscopy> Usually refers to the axis on which several principal lens axes may lie. It also refers to the axis of the eye which extends through the centre of the eye lens. The line formed by the coinciding principal axes of a series of optical elements comprising an optical system. It is the line passing through the centres of curvature of the optical surfaces. (05 Aug 1998) |
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| specific optical dispersion | <microscopy> The difference between the refractive indices of light of two different wavelengths, both indices measured at the same temperature, the difference being divided by the specific gravity also measured in the same medium at the test temperature. For convenience, the specific dispersion value is multiplied by ten. (05 Aug 1998) |
| electron optical axis | <physics> The path of an electron through an electron optical system along which it suffers no deflection due to lens fields. This axis does not necessarily coincide with the mechanical axis of the system. (05 Aug 1998) |
| electron optical system | <apparatus> A combination of parts capable of producing and controlling a beam of electrons to produce an image of an object. (05 Aug 1998) |
| tubelength optical | <microscopy> This distance is measured from the upper focal plane of the objective to the image formed by the objective alone upon removal of the eyepiece. A light microscope so arranged that the specimen, usually a solid-liquid colloid or suspension, is illuminated by a strong pencil of light at right angles to the microscope axis. The visibility is limited by the intensity of the light source. A laser can be used as the source. It is used to detect the presence of light-ultramicroscopic particles within the range of about 0.005,um to 0.2 ~m. Not to be confused with an electron microscope. (05 Aug 1998) |