M1 - MICROSCOPE

• MICROSCOPY

  o   Is the use of microscopes to view objects that cannot normally be viewed by your naked, unaided eye.
• MICROSCOPIUM, lit. "an instrument for viewing what is small,"
• SKOPION. "Means of viewing,"
• SKOPEIN "look at."
• MICROSCOPIC "of minute size" is attested from the 1760s.
• ESSENTIAL PARTS used for viewing.
• MECHANICAL used to support or hold the essential parts.
• The eyepiece contains the ocular lens which you will be looking through to see the magnified specimens with magnification ranging from 5X to 30X, but 10X or 15X is the most common in use.
• THE EYEPIECE TUBE

  o   It connects the eyepiece and ocular lens to the objective lenses.
• THE MICROSCOPE ARM

  o   It connects the eyepiece tube to the base which you should hold when carrying the microscope.
• THE MICROSCOPE BASE

  o   It provides stability and support for the microscope in its upright position. Typically, it holds the source of light or illuminator.
• THE MICROSCOPE ILLUMINATOR

  o   It is a light source that can come in the form of a built-in, low-voltage illuminator light, or a mirror that reflects an external light source like sunlight.
• CONCAVE surface is used with diffused light.
• PLANE/CONVEX surface is used with bright light.
• THE STAGE (PLATFORM STAGE) AND STAGE CLIPS

  o   It serves as the platform for slides that hold the specimen in place through a staged clip on either side. Some have a mechanical stage with adjustment knobs that allow the movement of slides to achieve more precise positioning.
• THE MICROSCOPE NOSEPIECE

  o   It contains the objective lenses. You can rotate this part by switching objective lenses and adjusting the magnification power.
• THE OBJECTIVE LENSES

  Generally, microscopes feature three or four objective lenses, with magnification levels ranging from 4X to 100X.
• §  Scanning lens – 4X

  §  LPO (Low Power Objective) – 10X and 16mm

  §  HPO (High Power Objective) – 40X and 4mm

  §  OIO (Oil Immersion Objective) – 100X
• THE RACK STOP

  o   It prevents users from moving the objectives too close to the slide.
• CONTROL FOCUS KNOBS

  o   Turning the knobs adjusts the distance between the stage and the lens.
• The COARSE ADJUSTMENT KNOB is used to bring the specimen into initial focus-- visible but not sharp.
• The FINE ADJUSTMENT KNOB is then turned to bring the specimen into sharp focus.
• The CONDENSER concentrates the light on the specimen
• The DIAPHRAGM with a small movable lever is adjusted to regulate the entry of light.
• BODY TUBE

  o   Can be raised or lowered to bring the object into focus by means of a large knob.