Microscope

Arm

Supports the tube and connects it to the base

ocular lens

the lens at the top that you look through. They are 10X power.

Base

The bottom of the microscope, used for support

Body tube/barrel

Connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses

Coarse adjustment

Used for focus on scanning. Usually the low power lens is used enabling the movement of the tube.

Fine adjustment

Used for focus on oil. Moves the body tube for focussing the high power lens.

Objective lens

Generally, three or four objective lenses are found on a microscope, with ranges of 10X, 40X, 100X powers. Lenses are colour coded, the shortest lens is of the lowest power, and the longest lens is high power lenses.

illuminator

A steady light source (110 volts) used in place of a mirror. If your microscope has a mirror, it is used to reflect light from an external light source up through the bottom of the stage.

Stage

The flat platform where you place your slides. Stage clips hold the slides in place. If your microscope has a mechanical stage, you will be able to move the slide around by turning two knobs. One moves it left and right, the other moves it up and down.

Stage clip

hold the slides in place.

Revolving nosepiece

This is the part that holds two or more objective lenses and can be rotated to easily change

Diaphragm

Can adjust the amount of light.

glass slide

used to hold specimen for viewing

cover slip

covers specimen on a slide

preparing a wet mount

Step 1: Slice thin sample and place on slide ​

Step 2: Add a drop of iodine solution to stain the cell ​

Step 3: Lower a coverslip gently on the slide ​

Step 4: Soak up any excess stain with paper towel ​

how to focus the micoscope

start with the stage at its lowest setting. Make sure the smallest objective lens is being used. Make sure its turned on and light is on. Using the course adjustment knob, slowing raise the slide until the picture is in view.

How to find total magnification

multiply the objective lens magnification by the eyepiece magnification

field of view

diameter of the circle of light when looking through a microscope

measuring specimens

measure FOV with a ruler and calculate how many of your specimen fit across FOV

what are the 4 lens magnification powers

4x, 10x, 40x, 100x

use pencil, draw fov, write total magnification, only draw the specimen not everything in the fov, label it with scientific names, write the title with the specimen name

dos for scientific diagrams

draw too big or small, make it sketchy, color or shade, draw how you think it should look like

donts for scientific diagrams