A Microscope is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are

too small to be seen by the naked eye.

1. stage 8. objective lenses

2. revolving nosepiece 9. mirror
3. ocular eyepiece 10. inclination joint
4. draw tube 11. iris diaphragm
5. course adjustment knob 12. stage clip
6. arm 13. fine adjustment knob
7. base 14. body tube

1. Stage - it is where the specimen (usually mounted onto a glass slide) is placed for
observation. Stages are often equipped with a mechanical device that holds the
specimen slide in place and can smoothly translate the slide back and forth as well as
from side to side.
2. Revolving Nosepiece - (also called Turret) this is the part that holds two or more
objective lenses and can be rotated to easily change power.
3. Ocular Eyepiece - is the part of the microscope that magnifies the image produced
by the microscope's objective so that it can be seen by the human eye. (provides 10x
magnification)
4. Draw Tube - carries the ocular, it can be adjusted to control tube length and so effect
corrections for the objective lens.
5. Coarse Adjustment Knob - A rapid control which allows for quick focusing by
moving the objective lens or stage up and down.
6. Arm - the arm of the microscope supports the body tube
7. Base -supports the microscope and it's where illuminator is located.
8. Objective Lenses - are the lenses that directly observe the object the microscope
user is examining. Objective lenses have three parts:
- scanning (4x)
- LPO/low power objective (10x)
- HPO/high power objective (40x)
9. Mirror - it is used to reflect light from an external light source up through the bottom
of the stage so you can see the specimen clearer.
10. Inclination Joint - It is used to tilt the body tube and stage
11. Iris Diaphragm - controls the angle of the beam of light focused onto the specimen.
12. Stage Clip - hold the slides in place
13. Fine Adjustment Knob - used to fine focus the image when viewing at the higher
magnifications.
14. Body Tube - The body tube is a hollow tube through which light travels from the
objective to the ocular. It contains a prism at the base of the tube that bends the light
rays so they can enter the inclined tube.
1. Position the microscope. The microscope should be at least 1.5 inches away from the
edge of the table.
2. Align your desired type of objective lens using the revolving nosepiece
3. Bend the microscope to use the mirror so that you can find light for observing your
specimen better. Use your dominant hand to hold the arm and the non-dominant
hand to hold the base
4. Observe the specimen using your left eye if you are right-handed, and use your right
eye if you are left-handed so you can easily write your observations using your
dominant hand
5. Course adjustment knob to zoom image, fine adjustment knob to sharpen image
6. To transfer the microscope, use your dominant hand to hold the arm and non-
dominant hand to hold the base. The microscope should be above the waistline.