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Can can anyone describe, as if to an idiot, in simple terms:

Why does high NA excitation illumination give better resolution in
fluorescence microscopy?

Simplistically, it seems that only the NA of detection/emission matters....
since the fluorescence absorption/excitation and emission processes are
separated in time, and the excited fluorophore emits light in all
directions...?

Is it something to do with the fact that there is anisotropy in the
emission process direction, and that the fluorophore can move between
excitation and emission?

Is it explained in Pawley's confocal handbook? If so, what page?

cheers

Dan