Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C.

September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

ACTIVITY # 1: The Microscope

I. Objectives
a. To familiarize students with the parts and function of microscopes
b. To acquire skills in handling and using a microscope
c. To understand the mechanism on how the microscope works
II. Introduction
A microscope is an instrument that makes an enlarged image of a small object, thus
revealing details too small to be seen by the unaided eye. Some microscopes can even be
used to observe an object at the cellular level, allowing scientists to see the shape of a cell,
its nucleus, mitochondria, and other organelles. Over the course of the microscope’s history,
technological innovations have made the microscope easier to use and have improved the
quality of the images produced. The compound microscope, which consists of at least two
lenses, was invented in 1590 by Dutch spectacle-makers Zacharias and Hans Jansen. Some
of the earliest microscopes were also made by a Dutchman named Antoine Van
Leeuwenhoek. Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes consisted of a small glass ball set inside a
metal frame. He became known for using his microscopes to observe freshwater, single-
celled microorganisms that he called “animalcules.”
There are several types of microscope, the most common is the
Compound microscope. It utilizes series of lenses of glasses to concentrate light through
or onto the object. The convex objective lenses, makes the object appear bigger. The images
are mostly viewed in the eyepiece binoculars of a microscope that gives additional
magnification and acts like a magnifying glass.

III. Learning Platform

A. Interactive Virtual Simulation of the Microscope

• https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/microscope/
B. Supplementary reading materials for Magnification, Numerical Aperture, Resolution, and
Resolving power
• https://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=3&brch=187&sim=323&cnt=1
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap1x94x1/chapter/magnification-and-resolution/
• https://personal.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-03a/m309-
projects/cannon/index.html
• https://www.auburn.edu/academic/classes/zy/hist0509/html/02basmic.html

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

IV. Materials
a. Bond Paper
b. Drawing materials
c. Device for simulating the website app
V. Procedure
A. Interactive Virtual Simulation of the Microscope
1. On your web browser, proceed to
https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/microscope/
2. Explore the interactive microscope by clicking the “Guide” button. It wildirect
you to a new dialog box (see yellow box). Then, browse through the reference guide
(see orange box) .

3. After reading the reference guide, go back to the main menu and click “Learn”.
Select the parts of microscope to learn more about it. Once done, click the “Main”
button to return to the main menu window.
4. Click the “Explore” button. Then, explore a variety of prepared slides for you to
examine. You are free to browse through the catalog & examine any slide, in any
order.
Once you have accomplished viewing all the prepared slides, go back to the
main menu and click “Test”. Try to answer the different categories such as
Care & Usage, Calculating magnification, and Terminology listed in the
challenge mode dialog box.

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

B. Parts of the Microscope

1. On the space provided below, draw and label the parts of a compound
Microscope.

Figure 1. Parts of a Compound Microscope

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

2. Fill out the table below and write the functions of each p a r t
o f the microscope.

Part Function

The eyepiece lens is the lens at the top that you

look through, and it generally has a 10x or 15x
Eyepiece lens magnification.

Goes by different names: Binocular/Monocular

Head & Body Tube. It is the structural support that
Eyepiece tube connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses. The
eyepiece tube is the tube that links the eyepiece to
the objective lenses.
The Arm supports the microscope’s head as it
attaches itself to the stage & the base. It is also
Arm called the Carrying Handle. An arm supports and
connects the tube to the base.

The Base holds & supports the microscope’s head

& stage through the. The illuminator/mirror is built
Base in the base. The base is the bottom of the
microscope and is used for support.

An illuminator is a constant light source (110 volts)

that is used instead of a mirror. A mirror is used to
Illuminator/Light Source reflect light from an external light source up
through the bottom of the stage.

Where the specimen is mounted over the Aperture.

Its height can be adjusted with Coarse Adjustment
Stage Knob. A stage is where the specimen (usually
mounted onto a glass slide) is placed for
observation.
Objective lenses allow the microscope to provide
magnified, clear, and real images of the specimen
Stage Clips being viewed. Common microscopes contain 3-4
objective lenses with magnifications of 4x, 10x,
40x, 100x powers respectively Stage clips are
used to hold the slides (a thin flat piece of glass,
used to hold items for inspection) in place. Also
found on the stage, this is used to fasten &
stabilize the specimen over the Aperture.
Found mounted on the revolving nosepiece.
Traditionally, there are 3 objectives always used in
Objective lenses the microscopes: LPO, OIO & HPO. Models
nowadays seem to allow interchangeability with 6
other special objective lenses.

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

Found bellow the Iris Diaphragm, this is used to

collect & focus the light through the Aperture. This
Condenser is useful for translucent biological specimens.
Condenser lens are lenses found under the stage
and usually contains one or two lenses. This lens
adjusts the amount of light and convert it into a
neater beam of light to illuminate the specimen
clearer.
The Iris Diaphragm controls amount of light going
through the stage & into the viewing. It contains
Diaphragm various sized holes that alters and controls the
intensity of the light that passes through the
condenser and eventually, through the specimen.
This is done by contracting and expanding the
diaphragm blades that is similar to the movement
of the iris of the eye.
Located on the arm, this gives rapid control to the
user quick focusing by moving the objective used
Coarse adjustment knob for initial focusing. As this is turned, the stage
moves vertically. This is only to be used low power
objectives & never with high power lenses. Coarse
adjustment knob are rapid control knobs used in
focusing by moving the stage up or down more
rapidly.
Fine adjustment knobs are knobs also used to
lower and raise the stage but in slower and more
Fine adjustment knob controlled manner. This is a slow but precise
control used to fine focus the image when viewing
at higher magnification.
Nosepiece is a circular late found under the head
of the microscope that holds the objective lenses
Nosepiece into position. This can be rotated in any direction
for different magnifications.

This is a hole found on the stage. The purpose of

this hole is to allow light to pass through into the
Aperture specimen. Aperture is a hole on the microscope
stage that allows the light from the illuminator to
pass through and reach the specimen being
viewed.

VI. Guide Questions

1. What are other types of microscope? Describe each type.
• Stereo Microscope provides a 3D image or in which it is called a "stereo"
image and provides magnification between 10x - 40x.
• Inverted Microscope provides a magnification of 40x, 100x and sometimes
200x and 400x.It is mostly used to view living samples that are in a Petri
dish.

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

• Metallurgical Microscope are high power microscopes designed to view

samples that do not allow light to pass through them. It provides a
magnification of 50x, 100x, 200x and sometimes reaches to 500x.
• Polarizing Microscope uses polarized light along with transmitted illumination
to example samples such as chemicals, rocks, and minerals. Polarizing
microscopes contain a polarizer and analyzer. The polarizer focuses on
different wavelengths of light, while the analyzer determines the amount and
direction of light that will illuminate the sample. This function is mostly used
for viewing birefringent materials.
2. Give two limitations of using the compound microscope.
Certain specimens such as viruses, atoms, and molecules cannot be viewed
since it can only magnify up to 2000 times. Compound microscopes produces
low resolution due to limited wavelength.
3. Define resolution and magnification.
Resolution is the image system’s ability to show as much detail as possible.
Magnification, on the other hand, is the ability of an image system to enlarge an
object visually to a user.
4. Provide an example on how to solve for the resolving power of a microscope.
𝜆
𝑑 = 0.61
𝑁𝐴
In this formula called Ernst Abbe, λ is the wavelength of the light coming from
the object while NA is the numerical aperture. The resolving power depends on
the color or wavelength of light. Let’s say if the given numerical aperture is 1.4 &
one is asked of the of the resolving power using light microscope & green light.
Green light has the wavelength of 500 nm. And so…
500
𝑑 = 0.61
1.4
𝑑 = 218 𝑛𝑚
5. Why do we need to solve for the magnification of a microscope? Explain your
answer.
Magnification is one of the key functions of a microscope, knowing how to solve
for it enables us to determine just how much magnification is needed to
specifically view an image size of a specimen relative from its actual size.
Moreover, as compound microscopes utilized both an eyepiece and objective
lens- we can assess just how much magnification a certain microscope is able
to perform or compound in this case by only looking through its combinations of
eyepiece and objective lenses.
6. Differentiate the properties of microscopic objective lens.
Objective lenses have different magnifications namely scanning (4x), low power
(10x), high power (40x), and oil immersion (100x) that can be used in observing
samples through a microscope. The first one is just ideal for looking at an
overview of the specimen, that is why it has the lowest magnification power.
Followed by the low power objective lens that has 10x magnification which is
often useful not only in scanning but also for having a clearer view for
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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

observing. The High Power Objective lens creates finer images through the
microscope to be able to see the small details within the sample. Lastly, the oil
immersion objective lens which provides the greatest magnification as it
produces a clearer image of the details of a specimen. It uses a special oil for it
to work and attain the magnification and resolution that the observer wants.
7. Cite uses of microscopes in different fields aside from science.
Microscope can be useful in industrial application. There are a lot of industrial
microscopes which varies on where they are used. This type includes stereo,
metallurgical, polarizing, measuring and toolmaker, asbestos, and gemological
microscopes. They can be used in manufacturing process, soldering, quality
control, inspection, and measuring. Microscopes can also be used in forensics
as it can help in analyzing and identifying evidences that was left in the crime
scene like fingerprints or things that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
VII. Conclusion
The complexity of a delicate equipment such as the microscope seems fair
for its simple use that birthed millions of discoveries not just in the different fields
of science but some of the fields itself could be rooted from this invention. A
microscope is essential in different lab activities concerning not just those
connected to biology but also those concerned with geology etc. The compound
microscope may be easy to use but it is very delicate thus handling this
equipment has an array of guidelines – from the way it should be held, used, up to
how to properly care for it. Furthermore, there are other types of microscopes with
specialized usage – some even requiring training to even get close to it and are
even more sensitive compared to a compound microscope. It may be a bit
surprising for some as we have encountered mathematic equations in the usage
of a microscope when all we usually do inside the laboratory is do trial and error.
Nonetheless, this activity gives a lot of additional info to the basics of a compound
microscope.

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

VIII. Appendix/Documentation

Fig.1: Care & Usage

Fig. 2: Magnification

Fig. 3: Terminology

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

IX. References
• ACCU_SCOPE. (N.A.). What Are the Different Magnifications of
Objective Lenses?. https://accu-scope.com/news/what-are-the-different-magnifications-
of-objective-lenses/
• Boundless General Microbiology at Boundless. (2021, January 4). Magnification and
Resolution. Biology, Libretext.
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book%3A_Microbiology_(Boundless
)/3%3A_Microscopy/3.1%3A_Looking_at_Microbes/3.1D%3A_Magnification_and_Reso
lution
• BYJUS. (N.A.). Study of the Parts of A Compound Microscope.
https://byjus.com/biology/study-of-the-parts-of-a-compound-microscope/
• Fray, M. (n.d.). Microscopes. SlidePlayer. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from
https://slideplayer.com/slide/4063206/
• Kroening, H. (2001, May). Definition of Parts of the Microscope. DITLR. chrome-
extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=http%3A%2F%2Fww
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f&clen=10622&chunk=true
• Knight, J. (n.d.). Microscopes Biology 11. SlidePlayer. Retrieved September 20, 2021,
from https://slideplayer.com/slide/9035718/
• Koenig, F. (2020, November 18). Compound Microscope Parts, Functions, and Labeled
Diagram. New York Microscope Company.
https://microscopeinternational.com/compound-microscope-parts/
• Koenig, F. (2020, June 7). Industrial Microscopes. New York Microscope
Company. https://microscopeinternational.com/microscopes-for-industrial-applications/
• Magnus. (2021, July 5). Uses of Microscopes in different
fields. https://www.magnusopto.com/blog/post/uses-of-microscopes-in-different-
fields.html
• Mathematics 3019. (N.A.). Microscope Resolving Power, page 2.
https://personal.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-03a/m309-
projects/cannon/resolving2.html
• Metallurgical microscope | KEYENCE America. (n.d.). Keyence. Retrieved September
20, 2021, from
https://www.keyence.com/ss/products/microscope/glossary/cat1/metallurgical_microsco
pe/
• Metallurgical Microscope - Reviews and Buyer’s Guide. (n.d.). MicroscopeMaster.
Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.microscopemaster.com/metallurgical-
microscope.html
• Microscope101. (N.A.). Compound Microscope Parts.
https://www.microscope.com/blog/microscope-101-6/compound-microscope-parts-6
• Microscope Parts & Specifications. (n.d.). Microscope World Resources. Retrieved
September 19, 2021, from https://www.microscopeworld.com/t-parts.aspx
• Mokobi, F. (2021, July 1). Parts of a microscope with functions and labeled diagram.
Microbe Notes. https://microbenotes.com/parts-of-a-microscope/
• Paselk, R. (2010, August 30). Polarizing Microscope. Humboldt.
https://www2.humboldt.edu/scimus/HSC.36-53/Descriptions/AOPolScp.htm
• Pulsifer, L. (2020, July 14). Disadvantages of a Compound Light Microscope. EHow UK.
https://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_7251901_disadvantages-light-microscopes.html

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Espanol, Chunelle Maria Victoria C. September 21,2021
BS Psych 3-3 GZP 3101L
MODULAR APPROACH FOR ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

• The Microscope. (N.A.). chrome-

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fw
ww.yc.edu%2Fv6%2Facademics%2Fpathway%2Fbiodocs%2FMicroscope181.pdf&cle
n=102162&chunk=true
• Types of Microscopes | Microscope World Blog. (n.d.). MicroscopeWorld. Retrieved
September 20, 2021, from https://www.microscopeworld.com/p-3658-types-of-
microscopes.aspx
• Wells, D. (n.d.). Microscopes and Cells. SlidePlayer. Retrieved September 20, 2021,
from https://slideplayer.com/slide/9291744/

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