STUDENT LABORATORY ACTIVITY 1.

NAME:___________________________________ DATE:________________

Introduction to the Microscope

Objectives:

1. To identify the parts of a compound light microscope.

2. To observe and draw the letter “e” as it appears under a microscope.
3. To be able to prepare a specimen slide of their own and be able to differentiate one magnification to another.

Prelab:
1. Study and familiarize yourself with the parts of the microscope. (https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/microscope/)
2. Label the parts of the microscope below.
LABORATORY EXERCISE
Materials:
Compound microscope, lens paper, prepared “e” slides
Procedure:
Note — This lab is due at the end of the lab period or as directed by your instructor. Your instructor may modify the
lab based on time.

A. Getting to know your microscope:

1. Carry the microscope back to your lab station by holding the arm with one hand while supporting the base
with the other hand. Place the microscope on your bench with the arm facing you. Check that the
microscope is level and not resting on anything such as books.
2. Plug in your microscope and turn on the light. Some outlets don’t work, so don’t assume the microscope
is broken. Try another outlet on the other side of your desk. Tell your teacher if your outlet is broken.
3. Clean the ocular, stage, condenser and objective lenses with lens paper.
4. Locate the coarse adjustment knob on the microscope (large knob). Rotate the knob so that the stage
moves up and down.
• Looking at the right-hand side of the microscope, carefully turn the knob clockwise. In which direction
does the stage move?
5. Remember, all of the objective lenses are held in the revolving nosepiece, sometimes referred to as the
turret. Locate the scanning power objective (4X) and turn the turret. The objective will click in place when
properly aligned. The scanning objective should now be above the condenser lens of the stage. (Do not
confuse the 4X objective, called the scanning objective with the 10X low power objective).
6. To determine the magnifying power of your microscope, multiply the power of the eyepiece lens by the
objective lens. Fill out the table below:

7. How do you determine which power to use? Always start with the scanning power objective. Use the
scanning objective to get an overview of the slide, then select the specific part of the specimen you would
like to view at a higher magnification and center it in the field of view. Rotate the turret and switch from
the scanning objective to the low power objective to see that part in greater detail. Rotate to the high-
power objective for an even closer view.

B. Observe the prepared “e” slide:

1. Rotate the coarse knob to lower the stage as far down as possible.

2. Rotate the diaphragm until the maximum amount of light is coming through the condenser lens.
3. Place the prepared “e” slide onto the stage and secure it with the clips (usually one clip is sufficient). Orient the
letter “e” right side up and center it on the stage. This is how it should appear on the stage (*Note: you are not yet
looking through the ocular).

4. Use the coarse adjustment knob to gently raise the stage until the scanning-power objective is as close to the
slide as it will go (*Note - do not look through the ocular lens yet ). Go slowly and gently.

5. Now look into the ocular with one eye (your microscope is monocular). Keep the other eye open (both eyes are
usually kept open). While looking through the ocular, slowly turn the coarse adjustment knob so the stage is
lowered away from the objective. You should now see the “e” come into focus. Get as clear an image as possible
then stop. You may now use the fine adjustment to sharpen the image further. (*Note - There is no reason to press
one’s eye against the ocular. Some students who wear glasses may find it better to remove them).

6. Due to the way light is reflected passing through a series of lenses, the image seen in the microscope is actually
flipped two times before you see it.

7. This “flipping” will affect how you perceive things in the field of view which are in motion, e.g. an amoeba or
paramecium. It can also create confusion about how the slide needs to be moved in order to center something in
the field of view.

• Circle the letter “e” as it looks when viewed under your microscope.
8. Looking through the microscope, what do you observe about the letter “e” ?

• Move the slide to the right. Which way does the image move?

• Move the slide to the left. Which way does the image move?

• Move the slide towards you. Which way does the image move?

• Move the slide away from you. Which way does the image move?

8. Find a part of the “e” that you would like to examine more closely. Center the “e” in the field of view by moving
the slide. Your microscope has a pointer in the ocular; the area you want to examine more closely should be at the
tip of the pointer.

9. Gently rotate the nosepiece to bring the low power objective into place. Note that the low power objective is
longer than the scanning objective. Look through the eyepiece.

10. Your microscope is parfocal, which means that once the image is focused under
scanning power, it will stay in focus under low power and then under high power.
You may have to use the fine adjustment knob to sharpen the image further and
adjust the diaphragm to improve the light.

• Draw the “e” as it appears through the microscope under low power in the circle
to the right.
11. Find a part of the “e” that you would like to examine even more closely. Put it in the center of the field of view
by carefully moving the slide. Use the pointer to help center the “e”.

12. Carefully rotate the nosepiece to bring the high power objective into place. Watch from the side to make sure
it clears the slide. It will click into place. If done correctly, there will only be about 1mm between the slide and the
high power objective. Look through the eyepiece.

*Note: Never use the coarse adjustment with the high-power objective in place. The high power objective is
longer than the low power objective, so it can strike the slide and damage the slide and the objective.

13. Use only the fine adjustment knob – slowly turn it back and forth until the “e” comes into sharp focus. You
should be looking through the eyepiece when using the fine adjustment knob. You may need to adjust the
diaphragm to improve the light. The high power lens is able to reveal the imperfections in the print that were not
visible under low power. The microscope magnifies the specimen, but the magnification is only good if the
microscope has adequate resolving power. Resolving power is the ability to produce separate images of close
objects.

• Accurately draw the part of the letter “e” seen under high power in
the circle to the right.

• What happens to the size of the field of view as the magnification

increases?

14. To remove the slide, carefully lower the stage as far as it will go. Adjust the nosepiece so the low power
objective is in place. Carefully remove the slide and put it in a safe place. Return your microscope.

Analysis and Conclusions:

1. A tiny organism is swimming from left to right in one field of view. What direction is it really moving on the
slide?

2. A student is looking at a cell under the microscope under low power and then switches to high power. The cell
now appears dark and blurry. Describe what the student should do to improve the image appearance.
Preparing Slides:

A. Cork slides
- Materials:
o a small cork
o plain glass microscope slide
o slide cover slip
o sharp knife or razor blade
o water

- Procedure:

o Carefully cut a very thin slice of cork using a razor blade or

sharp knife (the thinner the slice, the easier it will be to view
with your microscope).
o To make a wet mount of the cork, put one drop of water in the
center of a plain glass slide – the water droplet should be larger than the slice of cork.
Gently set the slice of cork on top of the drop of water (tweezers might be helpful for this).
If you are not able to cut a thin enough slice of the whole diameter of the cork, a smaller
section will work.
o Take one coverslip and hold it at an angle to the
slide so that one edge of it touches the water
droplet on the surface of the slide.
o Then, being careful not to move the cork around, lower the coverslip without trapping any
air bubbles beneath it.
o The water should form a seal around the cork. Use the corner of a paper towel to blot up
any excess water at the edges of the coverslip.
o To keep the slide from drying out, you can make a seal of petroleum jelly around the
coverslip with a toothpick.
o Begin with the lowest-power objective to view your slide. Then switch to a higher power
objective to see more detail. Use this same wet mount method for the other cell specimens
listed below.
B. Smear of Cheek Cells
- Materials:
o toothpick (flat ones work best)
o plain glass microscope slide
o slide coverslip
o methylene blue
- Procedure:
o To make a cheek smear, take a clean toothpick and gently scrape the inside of your cheek.
Then wipe that part of the toothpick in the center of your slide.
o Hold the coverslip with one end flush on the slide and gently wipe the edge of the coverslip
along the middle of the slide’s surface.
 o This will smear the cells along the slide, making a layer thin enough to view clearly. Let the
smear air dry.
o Once your smear is dry, add a drop of methylene blue stain to the center of the smear so you
will be able to see the cells more clearly.
o Gently set a coverslip over the smear and scan your slide under low power to locate the
cells, then observe them more closely under high power.

Draw your observation.

Scanning Objective LPO HPO

CONCLUSION:

What have you learned in today’s activity?