This instrument is used in nearly all fields of science because of its ability to quickly obtain images without having to physically slice the specimen. When acquiring images, the confocal microscope can take single, 2-dimensional images as well as 'stacks,' or a series of images taken at incremental z-steps. These 'stacks' can be compiled into a 3-dimensional image and transformed it into a movie. Moreover, the images acquired can be edited to highlight only areas of interest. For example, it may show blood vessels of an alveoli but not the rest of lung tissue.