IBN GABIROL SCHOOL

BIOLOGY LAB

TOPIC: INTRODUCTION TO MICROSCOPY

Goal: To recognize the parts of a light microscope, their functions, and how they work, to observe
and analyse different mounts of animal and cell plants, as well as non-living things.
Materials:
- A tomato. - Micromounts of animal and plant tissues.
- Lab coat. - Practice notebook.
- Goggles. - Pencil and pen.
- Slides.
- Coverslips.
- Water.
- Pasteur pipettes.
- Light microscope.

SAFETY: For this practice, the goggles are not necessary, because we will not use flammable
substances, acids or other dangerous elements. Nevertheless, the lab coat is still mandatory for lab.

Procedures:
1. Use the video shown in class to recognize the different parts of the microscope you have in the
laboratory, pointing each part.
2. Mount #1: Cut a piece of paper with something written on it, use the different objective lens (4x,
10x and 40x, NEVER 100x) to see the mount with different magnifications.
3. Mount #2: Take a sample of tomato, prepare a wet mount using the slides, coverslips, and water.
Use the different objective lens to see the mount with different magnifications. Try to recognize the
parts of cells you already know.
4. Mount #3: Use a micro-sample of a leaf’s cells (given by the teacher). Use the different objective
lens to see the mount with different magnifications. What parts of cells can you recognize?
5. Mount #4: Use a micro-sample of intestine’s cells (given by the teacher). Use the different objective
lens to see the mount with different magnifications. How many different types of animal cells can
you recognize?
6. Cleaning is important in a biology laboratory. Distribute the tasks among the group members to
leave your space as clean as you found it at the beginning.

Analysis questions (to solve in the notebook):

1. Mention 3 different parts of the light microscope and describe their importance/function in this
object.
2. Explain with your own words: what is the difference between magnification and resolution in
microscopy?
3. Draw three 10 cm x 10 cm squares on the left side of your notebook. Within them, draw
(exactly) what you saw in each mount. On the right side, write the following data:
✓ Type of sample:
✓ Total magnification (Ocular lens X Objective lens):
✓ Type of thing: (living or non-living)
4. Complete the sentence: Before, I thought that __________________, now, I think/know that
______________________.

Biology Lab Introduction to Microscopy 1