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Parts of a Compound Light Microscope

Parts of a Compound Light Microscope

This section provides detailed descriptions of the major parts of a compound light microscope, crucial for students to familiarize themselves with before practical application in labs.

Arm

  • Description:

    • The arm is the component of the microscope that connects the body of the microscope to its base.

    • Functions as a handle for carrying the microscope

Base

  • Description:

    • The base is the stable bottom part of the microscope.

    • It sits directly on the lab table

    • When carrying the microscope, one hand should be placed under the base to maintain balance and avoid damage to the equipment.

Body Tube

  • Description:

    • The body tube is the round tube that connects the eyepiece (ocular lens) with the objective lenses.

Course Adjustment

  • Description:

    • The coarse adjustment is a large knob that moves the stage up and down.

    • It is used to focus on the specimen and should only be used when observing under low and medium power

Diaphragm

  • Description:

    • The diaphragm is a disc located directly below the stage of the microscope.

    • It controls the amount of light that passes through the stage and onto the specimen, which is critical for enhancing visibility and contrast.

Fine Adjustment

  • Description:

    • The fine adjustment is a small knob that fine-tunes the focus of the specimen.

Light Source

  • Description:

    • The light source produces light to illuminate the specimen.

    • Depending on the type of bulb used, the light source can become very hot

Objectives

  • Description:

    • The objectives are the three lenses that are attached to the revolving nosepiece.

    • They are positioned directly above the specimen being observed, allowing for various levels of magnification to be achieved.

Ocular or Eyepiece

  • Description:

    • The ocular, or eyepiece, is the lens at the viewing end of the microscope, located at the top of the body tube.

Revolving Nosepiece

  • Description:

    • The revolving nosepiece is the part of the microscope that allows the user to switch between different objective lenses.

Stage

  • Description:

    • The stage is a level platform positioned above the base of the microscope on which microscope slides are placed for observation.

Stage Clips

  • Description:

    • Stage clips are the clips located on top of the stage that hold the microscope slide in position.