lab 1 micro
SAFETY RULES
USE OF THE MICROSCOPE
SAFETY RULES
Location of Safety Equipment in Lab
Shower
First Aid Kits
Fire Extinguisher
Fire Blanket
Eye Wash Stations
Protective Wear Requirements
Lab coats must be worn.
No open-toe shoes must be worn in the lab.
Gloves and goggles are mandated in the lab.
CONTAMINATED MATERIAL DISPOSAL
Proper Disposal Locations
Contaminated gloves and paper towels must be disposed of in red bags on the lab bench.
Sharps (e.g., pipette tips, broken glass, and slides) should go into the red box on the lab bench.
Contaminated liquids containing bacteria should be placed in a large red container near the window/back of the room.
Waste from dyes used for staining must be disposed of in satellite disposal containers located near the fume hood.
HANDWASHING TECHNIQUE
Importance of Proper Handwashing
A layer of oil and the skin structure inhibit microorganism removal with simple handwashing.
Soap aids in the removal of oil, while the scrubbing action facilitates the removal of microorganisms.
Reference for Proper Handwashing
Source: http://sct.poumon.ca/protect-protegez/germs- microbes_e.php
LIGHT MICROSCOPES
Types of Light Microscopes
Bright Field Microscope
Dark Field Microscope
Phase Contrast Microscope
Fluorescence Microscope
BRIGHT FIELD LIGHT MICROSCOPE
Functionality
Produces a dark image against a bright background.
Resolves objects down to approximately 10 μm.
COMPONENTS OF THE LIGHT MICROSCOPE
Eyepiece (Ocular Lens)
Provides final magnification, typically 10X.
Objective Lenses
Scanning Objective Lens
Identified by a red band, magnifies objects 4X.
High Dry Objective Lens
Identified by a blue band, magnifies objects 40X.
Low Power Objective Lens
Identified by a yellow band, magnifies objects 10X.
Oil Immersion Objective Lens
Identified by black and white bands, magnifies objects 100X.
HIGH POWER OBJECTIVE LENSES
Utilization of Immersion Oil
Oil has the same refractive index as glass, minimizing light refraction and improving resolution at high power.
TOTAL MAGNIFICATION
Calculation Formula
Total Magnification = (Magnification power of the objective) × (Magnification power of the eyepiece)
Example Calculation:
MICRON MEASUREMENTS
Micrometers (μm) Scale
0 to 500 μm visual representation
Oil immersion field of view approximately 180 μm, high power field of view approximately 450 μm.
MICROSCOPE STAGE COMPONENTS
Stage
The platform that supports the specimen below the objective lens.
Substage Condenser
A lens that concentrates light on the specimen.
Iris Diaphragm
Regulates amount of light passing through, analogous to the iris of the eye.
FOCUSING MECHANISMS
Coarse Focus
Utilized for focusing with larger lens adjustments.
Fine Focus
Utilized for focusing high-power images through minor lens adjustments.
MICROSCOPE COMPONENTS
Eyepiece/Ocular
Trinocular Head
Revolving Nosepiece
Condenser
Stage
Lamp
Base
Objective Lenses
Power Switch
Light Intensity Regulator
Coarse Focus
Fine Focus
Mechanical Stage Knobs
DARK FIELD MICROSCOPE
Principle of Operation
Forms a bright object against a dark background.
Especially useful for viewing extremely small living organisms that are invisible in light microscopes.
PHASE CONTRAST MICROSCOPE
Functionality
Enhances contrasts of transparent and colorless objects by influencing the optical path of light.
FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY
Applications
Used for imaging specific features of small specimens (like microbes).
Visually enhances 3-D features at small scales, can stain specific cellular structures.
Facilitates identification of cellular locations and interactions of specific molecules within the cell.
Reference image: http://www.sciencecodex.com/aggregated-images/body/oV94aKJ2s2jn60dq.jpg
OCULAR AND STAGE MICROMETERS
Ocular Micrometer
Small glass disk with uniformly spaced lines (0 to 100), inserted into the ocular and calibrated against a stage micrometer.
Stage Micrometer
A micrometer with uniformly spaced lines of known distances, typically divided into 0.01 millimeter and 0.1 millimeter.
CALIBRATING OCULAR MICROMETER
Process:
Adjust ocular in the body tube until lines of both micrometers are parallel.
Align left edges of both by moving the stage micrometer.
Count ocular lines that overlap stage micrometer lines to calculate distance.
Distance should be expressed in micrometers (µM).
Conversion for lines: Each small line = 0.01 mm or 10 µM, and each large line = 0.1 mm or 100 µM.
OCCULAR MEASUREMENTS EXAMPLES
Sample Problem
If 20 ocular spaces align with the 5th small stage line, what is the value of 1 ocular space?
Calculation: