Compound microscope

• A compound microscope is a type of optical microscope that uses multiple lenses to magnify an object for observation
• It is called "compound" because it utilizes a combination of lenses to achieve higher magnification than what is possible with a single lens.
• Mechanical parts - involved in giving support or strength to the instrument. These are also the parts that are movable and can be adjusted
• Body tube - a hollow tube through which light passes from the objective to the eyepiece
• Revolving nosepiece - holds the objectives. It can be rotated to select the appropriate objective. The lenses must be "clicked" into place to successfully view a specimen.
• Arm - connects the base and the body tube together. It serves as a handle for carrying the microscope.
• Stage - the platform where the slide or specimen to be examined is placed. It has an opening at the center that allows light to pass from below to the specimen
• Stage clips - holds the slide in place
• Base - the part where the microscope is firmly anchored. It gives support to the whole microscope and is the part where the illuminators are attached.
• Inclination joint - a joint found in some microscopes at which the arm is attached to the pillar of the microscope. It is used for tilting the microscope.
• Illuminating Parts- provide and capture light for illumination
• Mirror - reflects light from the surroundings to the specimen on the stage. It is planar on one side and concave on the other. The concave side of the mirror is used for natural light, while the flat side is used for artificial light. It is supported by the mirror rack. In more modern microscopes, this is already replaced with a light source or a bulb that provides light
• Condenser - concentrates the light from the light source or mirror onto the object of specimen being studied. It is located below the stage, and it is held in place by a rack.
• Iris diaphragm - regulates the amount of light that reaches the specimen. It is attached beneath the condenser
• Magnifying Parts - involved in magnifying the image of the specimens, including the resolution
• Eyepiece or ocular - the part through which an observer looks to view a specimen. It usually has a magnification of 10x, though eyepieces with 5x to 30x magnification are also available.
• Objectives - the main lenses that magnify the specimen being observed. Usually, microscopes have three objectives, but more modern ones house four or even live Objectives. Typical objectives have magnifying powers of 4x, 10x, 40x, and even 100x.