Lecturer’s name: SB015

Biology 1
Semester 1
Session 2021/2022

Student’s name: Matric no.: Practicum:

LABORATORY REPORT WRITING

EXPERIMENT 1: BASIC
TECHNIQUES IN MICROSCOPY

DO NOT OPEN THIS QUESTION PAPER UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.

SECTIONS / ITEMS MARKS

INSTRUCTION TO CANDIDATE: Title /3

This question paper consists of 9 sections. Learning Outcomes /5

Introduction / 10
Answer all sections in the space provided
in this question paper. Procedure / 14

Results / Observation / 25

Discussion / 19
The use of electronic calculator and
reference books are permitted. Conclusion /5

Reference /5

Questions / 14
TOTAL / 100

This lab report writing paper consists of 9 printed pages.

5
 Total
No Content
Marks
1. TITLE
3 marks
Basic Technique In Microscopy

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES 5 marks

i.Identify parts and functions of light compound microscope.

____________________________________________________________
ii. Describe characteristics of image observed by microscope.
____________________________________________________________

iii. Calculate actual magnification.

____________________________________________________________
3. INTRODUCTION 10 marks
The student should discuss few aspects as below:

i. What is light compound microscope? [2 marks]

ii. How do we hold the microscope properly? [2 marks]
iii. When do we use the oil immersion objective lens? [1 mark]
iv. What is the highest magnification should you focus before using
the oil immersion objective lens? [1 mark]

i.Light compound microscope is microsope with more than one lens

its own light source.

ii. We hold the microscope properly through we hold with our both

hands which one holding the body arm and the others under the base

of microscope.

iii. We use the oil immersion objective lens when we are viewing

individual bacteria strands or details of striations in skeletal muscle.

iv. The highest magnification should me focus before using the oil

immersion objective lens is 40x lens.

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 v. Based on FIGURE 1, identify the components of the light compound
microscope – A, D, I and M [4 marks]

FIGURE 1

Label Name Function

A Magnify the real image and convert it to
Ocular lens virtual image
C Rotation nosepiece Structure which lens are mounted

D To magnify the specimen at different

Objective lens magnification power
E Body arm Metal part used to carry the microscope
G Stage Horizontal surface on which the specimen
is placed
I Used to focus and deliver light to the
Condenser specimen
J Light source To emit light to the specimen
K Base Heavy cast metal part used as the base
and support
L Course adjustment Used to bring specimen into focus by
knob moving the stage to the specimen
M Fine focus Used to bring specimen into the focus
adjustment knob while using high power or oil immersion
objective lenses

4. PROCEDURE 14 marks
Write the procedure in concise third person, past tense and passive
sentences:
Please complete the procedure below.
Exercise 1.1: Images, Depth of Fields and Field of View of Microscope
Exercise 1.1.1: Image under the microscope
is observed
1. The ‘e’ prepared slide ___________ using the 4X objective lens.
is drew
2. The observation result using the 4X objective lens _____________.
is
3. The position of ‘e’_____ (inverted / original position).
determined

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Exercise 1.1.2: The Depth of Field
1. The thickness of the plane on focus is the depth of field. All the
threads are focused at the same time using a large depth of field. Just
one thread or a part of one thread is focused using the smaller or
narrow depth of field and everything else will be out of focus. On the
other hand, to view the ones underneath and upward view the
downward is focused and the ones that are above to view the other
threads.
2. The depth of field of microscope is determined as below:
i. The position of the thread on the slide with the naked eyes is
observed. The colour of thread is identified:
a) at the top
b) in the middle
c) at the bottom
ii. The cross threads are observed under the microscope using
4X and 10X objective lens.
iii. When the power of objective lens are increased, the
condition of the depth of field is determined.

Exercise 1.1.3: The Field of view

1. By comparing the size of the image to the diameter of the field of
view is the simplest method of estimating linear dimension. By
focusing on the millimetre scale of a transparent ruler using the
lowest power objective will help us to make rough estimate of the
field diameter. By using this formula, we will able to calculate the
field of view:

Diameter of field of view under High magnification power

low magnification power

Diameter of field of view under Low magnification power

high magnification power

2. The diameter of the field of view for each of the objective lens on the
microscope are determined as below:
i. The transparent ruler is placed on the stage.
ii. The transparent ruler is observed using the 4X, 10X and 40X
objective lenses. (Increase the amount of light by adjusting
the control knob to the maximum).
iii. The observation is drawn using 4X objective lens.

3. A cell from a piece of cork tissue with approximately 20 cells in

horizontal position and 10 cells in vertical position are determined
using 40X objective lens.

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 Exercise 1.2: Magnification
1. The actual magnification of a specimen is determined using the
formula below:

Actual Magnification Magnification

= X
magnification power of power
objective lens of ocular lens

2. The actual magnification is recorded in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Actual magnification of a specimen

Actual magnification
Magnification Magnification power of objective lens
power of
ocular lens 4X 10X 40X 100X
10X

Exercise 1.3: Oil Immersion Objective Lens

1. Observe the prepared slide is observed under the microscope.
(Caution: Use immersion oil only for 100X objective lens).

2. The observation is drawn.

(Caution: Draw only the bacteria and not artifacts such as air
bubbles, dust, fibre, etc.)

5. RESULTS / OBSERVATIONS 25 marks

Exercise 1.1: Images, Depth of Field and Field of View of the
Microscope

i. Exercise 1.1.1: Image under the microscope

• Drawing of letter ‘e’

ii. Exercise 1.1.2: Depth of Fields

• Draw table for position of thread
Position of thread Naked eyes Under microscope
Top
Middle
Bottom

decrease
The depth of field ____________when the power of objectives
lens increase.

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iii. Exercise 1.1.3: Field of View
• Drawing of transparent ruler at 40X actual magnification

• Answer the question on FIGURE 1.3:Diameter Field of view

No. Procedure
The diameter of field of view for the 4X objective lens
is mm or ____________________ µm.

The diameter of field of view for the 10X objective lens

is mm or µm.

The diameter of field of view for the 40X objective lens

is___________ mm or µm.

4. Cork seen under 40X objective lens

= 20 cell horizontal x 10 cell vertical

20 cells

10 cells

Under 40X objective lens

Horizontally,
20 cell = 3.75 x 102 µm
1 cell = 3.75 x 102µm / 20 cell
18.75 m
1 cell = ______________________

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 Vertically,
10 cell = 3.75 x 102 µm
1 cell = 3.75 x 102µm / 10 cell
37.5 m
1cell = ____

Size of a cork cell

= 0.19 x 102 µm x 0.38 x102 µm
= 722 m

Exercise 1.2: Magnification

• Complete Table 1.1

Actual Magnification
Magnification power Magnification power of objective lens
of ocular lens 4X 10X 40X 100X
10X 40 x 100 x 400 x 1000 x

Exercise 1.3: Oil immersion objective lens

• Drawing of prepared slide using oil immersion objective lenses

No. Criteria
1. Drawing seen under microscope
2. Title of drawing and state the actual
magnification (1000X)

6. DISCUSSION 19 marks

Interpret your results and explain the significance of what you found.
To interpret you may have to:
• compare your experimental results with each other
• explain errors
• comment on trends shown by a graph
• comment on the suitability of the method used in the experiment.

When discussing results, you need to point out the trends and explain
why they are as they are. Ask yourself

• Do the results agree with your model / theory? Why not?

• What experimental limitations were there those might have affected
the accuracy of your data?
• Were your results expected?

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 Suggestion answer:

No. Discussion
1. Describe image seen under the microscope
• Image seen under the microscope very clear and also magnified
2. State the relationship between depth of field,
magnification power and image seen under the
microscope
• As the magnification power increase ,
the depth of field is decrease
and the image
_
can be focused vertically
3. State the ____ for calculating the
_.
4. State the objective lens can that uses the oil
immersion and state the function of oil
immersion
• 100 x
• to increase the refraction index so that
clear enough and (looks)
the image is __________
sharp and nearer
_______________________ to the eyes

7. CONCLUSION 5 marks

No. Conclusion
1. Images seen under the microscope are
than the objects, and .
2. higher
The______________ the magnification the
smaller field of view

3. • The prepared slide of bacteria can be observed by

oil immersion
using ___________________________ techniques
• light compound
On ____ microscope
____________________________________ power
objective lens (100X).

8. REFERENCE 5 marks

(Reference must be written according to APA system)

[Author (Year). Book title (edition). Publisher]

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9. QUESTIONS 14 marks
A) For questions 1 to 7, choose the CORRECT answer from the following
list:
A Scanning objective lens (4X)
B Low-power objective lens (10X)
C High-power objective lens (40X)
D Oil immersion objective lens (100X)

A
1. Which is the shortest objective lens? ____
2. Which objective lens should you use when you begin to focus a
specimen? A
3. Which objective lens should be in position before you store a
microscope? A
4. Which objective lens will deliver the highest amount of light? D___
5. Which objective lens requires immersion oil to fill up the space
D
between the specimen and the lens? ____
6. Which objective lens will still remain in focus when placed at the
A
longest working distance from the specimen? ____
7. When using an ocular lens with 10X magnification power, which
objective lens should be used to obtain the following actual
magnification?
– 100 times of its diameter B
– 1000 times of its diameter D
[8 marks]
B) Answer the following questions.
1. Based on laboratory practices, what do you use to clean the
microscope lenses? [1 mark]
Correct lens paper _
2. While observing a moving microorganism under a microscope, you
found that the organism has moved out of the field of view to the right.
In order to keep observing the microorganism, which direction do you
move your slide (right/left)? [1 mark]
Left

3. How do you adjust the slide when the specimen is out of the field of
view to the top? [1 mark]
Adjust the small fine focus knob until the specimen is cleary in focus.

C) Complete the following sentences.

1. A microscope is called a compound microscope when it consists of
lens and its own light sourse.
more than one set of …………………………………. [2 marks]

2. Condenser and iris diaphragm are useful to coordinate

………………………… [1 mark]
the amount of light and to focus and deliver light to the specimen.

TOTAL 100

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