Microscopes & Wet Mount Slides Lab - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key microscope parts, lenses, magnification concepts, and wet mount procedures described in the lab notes.

Ocular lens (eye piece)

The lens you look through; magnifies the specimen by 10x.

Rotating nose piece

The rotating ring that holds the objective lenses and allows switching between scanning, low, high, and oil immersion objectives.

Objective lenses

The four lenses on the nosepiece: scanning (4x), low power (10x), high power (40x), and oil immersion (100x). Each provides a different magnification.

Stage

The flat platform where the slide sits and is held in place.

Diaphragm

Controls the amount of light that reaches the specimen.

Light source

Illuminates the specimen from beneath.

Condenser

Focuses and concentrates light on the specimen.

Coarse adjustment

Moves the stage up and down to focus; used primarily at lower magnifications.

Fine adjustment

Provides precise, small focusing adjustments after coarse adjustment.

Base

The bottom support of the microscope.

Arm

Part of the microscope used to carry; typically held with one hand while supporting the base with the other.

Magnification

The apparent size of the specimen; the product of the ocular magnification and the objective magnification.

Total magnification

The overall magnification achieved; ocular magnification multiplied by the objective magnification (e.g., 10x ocular × 4x scanning = 40x).

Scanning objective (4x)

The lowest-power objective lens used to locate specimens; with a 10x ocular gives a total magnification of 40x.

Low power objective (10x)

Provides moderate magnification; with a 10x ocular gives a total magnification of 100x.

High power objective (40x)

Higher magnification; with a 10x ocular gives a total magnification of 400x.

Oil immersion objective (100x)

Very high magnification that requires immersion oil between slide and lens to prevent refraction; with a 10x ocular gives a total magnification of 1000x.

Field of view

The visible area through the eyepiece; it becomes smaller as magnification increases.

Wet mount

A slide prepared with a liquid sample for viewing under the microscope.

Coverslip

A thin glass piece placed over the specimen; should be laid on at a 45-degree angle to avoid air bubbles.

Air bubbles

Trapped spaces between the slide and coverslip; should not be pressed to remove; they indicate improper coverslip placement.

Start with scanning 4x

When viewing a new specimen, begin with the 4x (scanning) objective to locate the specimen before increasing magnification.

Carrying the microscope

Carry with one hand on the arm and the other supporting the base (two-handed carrying) for safety.

Oil immersion care

Use a drop of immersion oil with the 100x objective; clean excess oil after use to protect the lens.