The polarizer/analyzer set is used to enable the polarization technique. It consists of a polarizer and an analyzer. The polarizer is placed on the collector, and the analyzer is in the slot of the stand above the revolving nosepiece. The polarizer is 360° rotatable. The intensity of the transmitted light changes depending on how the polarizer and analyzer are positioned relative to each other. When they are mutually perpendicular to each other, a complete darkening effect is observed.
The “facing forward” position of the polarizer corresponds to 0° (parallel position), and the “sideways” position corresponds to 90° (perpendicular position). The polarizer can be flipped down: You do not have to take it off the microscope to remove it from the optical path.
Anisotropic biological samples, such as blood, urine, synovial fluid, muscle contractile elements, and collagen fibers, are studied in polarized light.