Raman spectroscopy is an increasingly popular technique in many areas, including biology and medicine. It is based on Raman scattering, a phenomenon in which incident photons lose or gain energy via interactions with vibrating molecules in a sample. These energy shifts can be used to obtain information regarding molecular composition of the sample with very high accuracy. Applications of Raman spectroscopy in the life sciences have included quantification of biomolecules, hyperspectral molecular imaging of cells and tissue, medical diagnosis, and others. This review briefly presents the physical origin of Raman scattering, explaining the key classical and quantum mechanical concepts. Variations of the Raman effect will also be considered, including resonance, coherent, and enhanced Raman scattering. We discuss the molecular origins of prominent bands often found in the Raman spectra of biological samples. Finally, we examine several variations of Raman spectroscopy techniques in practice, looking at their applications, strengths, and challenges. This review is intended to be a starting resource for scientists new to Raman spectroscopy, providing theoretical background and practical examples as the foundation for further study and exploration.

中文翻译：

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拉曼光谱：生命科学中的技术和应用

拉曼光谱是包括生物学和医学在内的许多领域越来越流行的技术。它基于拉曼散射，这是一种入射光子通过与样品中振动分子的相互作用而失去或获得能量的现象。这些能量偏移可用于以非常高的精度获得有关样品分子组成的信息。拉曼光谱在生命科学中的应用包括生物分子的量化、细胞和组织的高光谱分子成像、医学诊断等。这篇综述简要介绍了拉曼散射的物理起源，解释了关键的经典和量子力学概念。还将考虑拉曼效应的变化，包括共振、相干和增强拉曼散射。我们讨论了在生物样品的拉曼光谱中经常发现的突出带的分子起源。最后，我们在实践中检查了拉曼光谱技术的几种变体，研究了它们的应用、优势和挑战。这篇综述旨在成为刚接触拉曼光谱的科学家的起始资源，提供理论背景和实际例子，作为进一步研究和探索的基础。