Introduction to the Microscope
PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
1. Label the following microscope using the components described within the Introduction.
OCULAR LENS
HEAD
COARSE KNOB ADJUSTMENT
FINE COARSE ADJUSTMENT
REVOLVING NOSE PIECE
OBJECTIVE LENS STAGE
CLIP
ARM
STAGE
LIGHT
BASE
Introduction to the Microscope
Introduction to the Microscope
EXPERIMENT 1: VIRTUAL MICROSCOPE
Post-Lab Questions
Virtual Microscope
1. What is the first step normally taken when you look through the ocular lenses?
Answer: To prevent damage to the lens or slides, always start and end with the scanning
power objective lens (shortest one) above the light source.
2. What does it mean that the image is inverted when you look through the ocular lenses?
Answer: Inverted means that the image appears upside down or backward compared with
the actual object.
3. What is the difference between the coarse adjustment knob and the fine adjustment knob?
When is it appropriate to use them?
Answer:
The coarse adjustment moves the stage and therefore provides the most focus by
changing the distance between the lenses and the specimen. It is used ONLY on
low power.
Fine adjustment is used to focus the image on the microscope of only high power
by using very tiny motions of the lens.
4. What new details are you able to see on the slide when the magnification is increased to
10x that you could not see at 4x? What about 40x?
Answer: Going to high power on a microscope decreases the area of the field of view.
The field of view is inversely proportional to the magnification of the objective lens. For
example, if the diameter of your field of view is 1.78 millimeters under 10x
magnification, a 40x objective will be one-fourth as wide, or about 0.45 millimeters. The
Introduction to the Microscope
specimen appears larger with a higher magnification because a smaller area of the object
is spread out to cover the field of view of your eye
Reflection
By doing this experiment, virtual microscope allows people all over the world to study
specimens whenever and however they want. Unlike prepared slides or photographs, virtual
images allow viewers to target a certain spot of a specimen for detailed study and provides the
tools to manipulate the image to see what it looks like from a different angle.
Virtual microscopes use computer technology to store hundreds of images of a particular
specimen and provide those views to anyone with an Internet connection and a computer. This
provides independent study of specimens, once only available to graduate students, scientists and
research facility employees.
Hands-On Microscope
1. What observations do you make observing the letter “e” at low power?
Answer: Under the microscope the e is upside down and backwards compared to
the letter e on the slide. If the e is right side up and forward, under the microscope it is
going to be upside down and backwards.
2. At what objective magnification can you no longer see the entire letter when looking
through the ocular lens?
Answer: The objective magnification can you no longer see the entire letter when looking
through the ocular lens is Oil immersion objective (OIO)
3. List the objective lens magnifications you used to observe the letter “e” below, along
with your observations at each magnification.
Answer: Low power field objective (LPO)
Introduction to the Microscope
4. What did you use to create your second microscope slide?
Answer: For the second microscope slide, I decided to put a piece of hair on the slide.
5. Write down your observations in viewing you second slide, and write down what
magnifications you used to make those observations.
Answer: In viewing the hair under low and power objective, I was able to see that hair is
not at all black all throughout. There is actually some lightly pigmented areas and the
surface is also not smooth. Viewing the hair under two objectives, I was able to see the
components of the hair more clearly under the high power objective.
Reflection:
Microscopes are the magnifying or observing instruments that can help in seeing those objects that
are too small to see from naked eyes. In Surgery, it becomes important to get better view of cells
and tissues of operating area. In healthcare related labs, magnifying tools are used to observe cell,
tissues, bacteria, viruses etc. Good magnification helps in researches done on microorganisms. It
helps in seeing the behavior of viruses, so that their cures can be developed. It also helps in locating
problems in cells. The use of microscopes in healthcare industry not only increases the level of
success of treatment, but also increases skills of medical professionals.
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Introduction to the Microscope
