20/09/2022

Microscope

lgpadilla

Learning Objectives:
• To be able to:
- Label and give the function of each
part of the microscope.
- Use the microscope correctly to view
slides and work out magnification.

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Activity 1
The Compound Microscope
I. Activating Prior Knowledge

Label the parts of the compound microscope.

REVOLVING
5
4 PIECE
KNOB

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7
KNOB
8
9
10
13
11
14 12
15

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OR BASE

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What do all the organisms below

have in common?
E. Coli Bacteria
The are all microscopic Ebola Virus

organisms. They cannot

Red Blood Cells
be seen with the naked
Dust Particles Daphnia
eye, we need a
microscope to see them.
Water Bear

MICROSCOPE
❖A microscope is an instrument used to see objects
that are too small for the naked eye.

❖The science of investigating small objects using

such an instrument is called microscopy.

❖Microscopic means invisible to the eye unless

aided by a microscope.

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Parts and Functions of a

Compound Microscope

Light Microscope

SIMPLE COMPOUND

Uses set lenses or a

Uses single lens
lens system

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Simple Light Microscope

Compound Microscope

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Compound Microscope
Mechanical Parts Magnifying Parts Illuminating Parts

Adjustments Enlarge the Provide the

and Support specimen light

Mechanical Parts
o Base
– Bottommost portion that supports the
entire/lower microscope
o Pillar
– Part above the base that supports the other
parts
o Inclination Joint
– Allows for tilting of the microscope for
convenience of the user

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Inclination Joint
Pillar
Base

Mechanical Parts
o Arm/Neck
– Curved/slanted part which is held while
carrying the microscope
o Stage
– Platform where object to be examined is
placed
o Stage Clips
– Secures the specimen to the stage

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Mechanical Parts

o Stage Opening
- platform where the slide is placed
o Body Tube
– Attached to the arm and bears the lenses
o Draw Tube
– Cylindrical structure on top of the body tube
that holds the ocular lenses

Draw Tube

Body
Tube
Arm /
Neck
Stage

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Mechanical Parts
o Revolving/Rotating Nosepiece
– Rotating disc where the objectives are
attached

o Dust Shield
– Lies at the top the nosepiece and keeps dust
from settling on the objectives

Dust Shield

Revolving
Nosepiece

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o Coarse Adjustment Knob

– Geared to the body tube which elevates or
lowers when rotated bringing the object into
approximate focus

o Fine Adjustment Knob

– A smaller knob for delicate focusing bringing
the object into perfect focus

Coarse
Adjustment
Knob

Fine
Adjustment
Knob

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Mechanical Parts

• Condenser Adjustment Knob

– Elevates and lowers the condenser to
regulate the intensity of light

• Iris Diaphragm Lever

– Lever in front of the condenser and which is
moved horizontally to open/close the
diaphragm

Iris Diaphragm

Condenser
Adjustment Knob

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Illuminating Parts
o Mirror
– Located beneath the stage and has concave and
plane surfaces to gather and direct light in order to
illuminate the object

o Electric Lamp
– A built-in illuminator beneath the stage that may be
used if sunlight is not preferred or is not available

Mirror /
Electric Lamp

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MAGNIFYING PARTS
• Ocular / Eyepiece
– Another set of lens found on top of the body
tube which functions to further magnify the
image produced by the objective lenses. It
usually ranges from 5x to 15x.

Ocular/ Eyepiece

Objectives

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MAGNIFYING PARTS
• Objectives
– Metal cylinders attached below the nosepiece and
contains especially ground and polished lenses
• LPO / Low Power Objective
– Gives the lowest magnification, usually 10x

• HPO / High Power Objective

– Gives higher magnification usually 40x or 43x

• OIO / Oil Immersion Objective

– Gives the highest magnification, usually 97x or
100x, and is used wet either with cedar wood oil or
synthetic oil

Total Magnification
Magnification = Objective lens X Eyepiece lens

e.g. What is the total

magnification if the objective lens
is twenty times (X20) and the
eyepiece lens five times (X5)?
Magnification = 20 X 5 = X100

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As magnification increases, detail

increases but
Onion cell
40x
Onion cell 100x

Onion cell 400x

less of the cell is seen

Caring for the Microscope

1. Do not let any liquids to come in contact with
the microscope.
2. Always store the microscope inside a box
after use.
3. Return the objective lens onto low power after
use.
4. Carry the microscope by the arm.
5. Use a soft clean tissue to wipe the lenses

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Use of the Compound

Microscope

• Make sure all backpacks are out

of the aisles before you get a
microscope!

• Always carry the microscope with

one hand on the Arm and one
hand on the Base. Carry it close
to your body.

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• Be gentle.
• Setting the microscope
down on the table roughly
could jar lenses and other
parts loose.

• Always start and end

with lowest powered
objective.

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• Place the slide on the microscope

stage, with the specimen directly
over the center of the glass circle
on the stage (directly over the
light).

• If you wear glasses, take

them off; if you see only
your eyelashes, move closer.

• If you see a dark line that

goes part way across the field of
view, try turning the eyepiece.

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• Use only the Fine adjustment

knob when using the HIGH (long)
POWER OBJECTIVE.

• As much as possible, keep both

eyes open to reduce eyestrain.
Keep eye slightly above the
eyepiece to reduce eyelash
interference.

• If, and ONLY if, you are on LOW

POWER, lower the objective lens
to the lowest point, then focus
using first the coarse knob, then
the fine focus knob.

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• Adjust the Diaphragm as you

look through the Eyepiece,
and you will see
that MORE detail is visible
when you allow in LESS light!
• Too much light will give the
specimen a washed-out
appearance.

• Once you have it on High

Power remember that you only
use the fine focus knob!

• The High Power Objective (40x)

is very close to the slide. Use of
the coarse focus knob
will scratch the lens,
and crack the slide.

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Activity 1
II. Practice Viewing of Specimen Using
Comound Microscope.

LPO HPO

Coverslips
Microscope
slides

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Preparing a
slide as a wet
mount.

Use of stains
▪ some parts of a plant cell can be clearly
seen when the cell is mounted in water
▪ E.g. an Elodea leaf cell:
✓ cell wall
✓ several chloroplasts

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▪ other cell structures which are not so

obvious can often be shown up more clearly
by the addition of dyes called STAINS

Iodine Solution Methylene Blue

Used to stain plant Used to stain animal
cells cells

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1 2
One of the fleshy scale
An onion is cut leaves is removed.
into quarters.
Snapping leaf
backwards exposes
5 the epidermis.

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6 Epidermis is placed on
slide & covered with 2-3
drops of distilled water . A thin inner layer of
Coverslip is lowered. epidermis is peeled
off.
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A drop of stain is put Stain is drawn over
at one end of slide. specimen using a small
piece of filter paper.

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End
Thank you!

All contents on this slide is adapted from:

www.slideshare.com/partsandfunctionsofcompoundmicroscope

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