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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

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