MICROSCOPE
Microscope
• comes from the Ancient Greek micros
meaning “small” and skopien, means “to
look”,
• a tool which can help you see tiny objects
and living organism.
• Microscopy is the science of investigating
small objects and structures using such an
instrument.
The NATURE
MILTESTONE
of
MICROSCOPE
Hans and Zacharias Jansen
• produced the first
compound microscope in
the 1590s. When they put a
lens at the end of a small
tube, they discovered that
the objects near the end
were magnified more than
the lens by itself could
achieve.
Galileo Galilei
• invented the first
compound microscope in
the year 1625. It has
more than one lens.
• He added a focusing
device to his microscope
and of course went on to
explore the heavens with
his telescopes.
Robert Hooke
• examined a very thin
slice of cork, he thought
the close- up views
resembled small, empty
rooms. He named these
rooms’ cells. This gives
way to the discovery of
cell.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
• worked to create
stronger lenses that
result to more powerful
microscope.
• One of the first scientists
to observe bacteria
movement in a single
drop of pond water.
The prototype for the
compound microscope was
credited to Joseph
Jackson Lister which
reduces spherical
aberration or the “chromatic
effect” by showing that
several weak lenses used
together at certain
distances gave good
magnification without
blurring the image.
Ernst Abbe
• research director of the
Zeiss Optical Works,
wrote a mathematical
formula called the “Abbe
Sine Condition”.
• His formula provided
calculations that allowed
for the maximum
resolution in microscopes
possible in 1872.
Richard Zsigmondy
• developed the ultra-
microscope that
could study objects
below the
wavelength of light
and he won the
Nobel Prize for
Chemistry in 1925.
Frits Zernike
• invented the phase-
contrast microscope
that allowed for the
study of colorless and
transparent biological
materials for which he
won the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1953.
• In 19th century,
companies in
Germany like Zeiss
and an American
company founded by
Charles Spencer
began producing fine
optical microscope.
Parts of the
Microscope
Parts and Function of a
Microscope
Eyepiece or Ocular lens- the part
used to look through the microscope.
Body tube or Lens tube is
connected with the eyepiece and
its main task is to hold it.
Revolving nosepiece
holds the objective
lenses. It is movable and
it can revolve the
objective lenses
depending on the
magnification power of
the lens.
Arm is the part
connecting the base
and to the head and the
eyepiece tube to the
base of the
microscope.
It gives support to the
head of the microscope
and it is also used
when carrying the
microscope
Objectives/ objective
lenses are the major lenses
used for specimen
visualization. Usually, the
shortest one is called
scanner. The lower power
objective (LPO) is marked
10x or 12x, while the high
power objective (HPO) is
marked 40x, 43x or 60x.
Stage is the
platform that holds
the specimen or
sample for viewing.
Stage clips
hold the
specimen
slides in place.
Diaphragm controls
the amount of light
that passes through
the specimen.
• Coarse adjustment
focuses images
under the scanner
and the low- power
objectives.
• Fine adjustment
focuses images
under the high-
power and oil-
immersion objectives.
• Light source provides light for the
specimen (could be a lamp or a
mirror).
• Base supports the microscope.
How to Use A Microscope to
Observe A Specimen?
Put a table
lamp in front
of the
microscope.
Put a low-
power
eyepiece
into the
microscope.
Rotate a
low-power
objective
into position.
Look through
the eyepiece.
Adjust the
mirror until you
see a bright
circle of light.
Place a slide on
the stage, and fix
it with the clips.
The specimen on
the slide should
be right above
the hole of the
stage.
Look at the
microscope from
the side. Turn the
coarse adjustment
knob carefully to
lower the objective
until it is very close
to the slide.
Look through the
eyepiece. Turn the
coarse adjustment
knob to raise the
objective slowly until
you can see an image
of the specimen
Turn the fine
adjustment knob
to get a sharper
image. The
image is now in
focus.
Magnification
Eyepiece lens and the objective
lens are two lenses that determine
the magnification of the microscope
Each has a number on it that
signifies its magnification.
• 4X – This objective magnifies the image by
a factor of 4. It is referred to as the
“scanning objective” since it is used to scan
the slide to locate the specimen before
viewing it at higher magnification.
• 10X – This objective magnifies the image by
a factor of 10 and is referred to as the “low
power” objective.
• 40X – This objective magnifies the image by
a factor of 40 and is referred to as the “high
power” objective.
• Total magnification of an image
is the product of the ocular lens
magnification times the magnification of
the objective lens you are using:
• Magnification of Ocular x Magnification
of Objective = Total Magnification
• For example, if the ocular lens magnifies
the image by a factor of 10 (10X), and the
objective lens magnifies the image by a
factor of 50 (50X), the total magnification
of the image is 500X:
10X x 50X = 500X
*remember that total magnification is the product
(multiplication) of the ocular and objective lens
magnifications
Proper Handling of Microscope
When carrying your
microscope, hold it by
the base and the
metal support arm.
Do not pick it up by
the stage, as this can
cause misalignment.
• Keep lenses clear of
slides
• Never allow the lens
to touch the slide you
are looking at. Dirty
lenses can be difficult
to clean.
• Clean after using
• Always ensure the
objectives are cleaned
immediately after use.
Objective, eyepieces,
and condenser may be
removed for cleaning.
Use only lens paper
and lens cleaner. Do
not use solvents.
• Cover when not in
use
• Store in a clean,
dry place
• Always keep your
microscope
covered when not
in use even if the
microscope is
stored in a cabinet
• Only use special lens
paper or wipes for
cleaning the lenses
• Never use sharp
instruments or
anything abrasive on
the microscope
lenses.
