Virtual Microscope Introduction Lab

Name Date

Introduction:
This guided virtual lab covers the basics of light. You will identify components of the microscope,
understand the functions of those components, learn how to focus on a specimen, and review proper
care and maintenance.

Background:
When you walk out the door each day you see many examples of life on earth – trees, birds, other
humans. Unless we look closer, we will miss the huge diversity of life that is too small to be seen with
our eyes alone. In fact, the majority of life on earth is microscopic and, until tools were available to
visualize these organisms, they were completely overlooked. One of the first tools that opened our
eyes to microbial life was the microscope.

It was Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), a Dutch scientist, and one of the pioneers of microscopy
who in the late 17th century became the first man to make and use a real microscope. Van
Leeuwenhoek developed ways to make superior lenses, grinding and polishing five hundred and fifty
lenses to make a lens tube that had a magnifying power of 270 times and could view objects one
millionth of a meter (take a meter stick and cut it into a million pieces – he could see one piece). He
was the first to see and describe bacteria, yeast cells, plants, and all kinds of one-celled organisms in a
drop of water.

Today, all biology students experience the use of the modern microscope: the compound light
microscope. This microscope uses lenses along with light to magnify items up to 1000x which allows
us to see organisms like bacteria, archaea, yeasts, protozoans, and algae that we would never notice
because they are so small. We can also use compound light microscopes to see cells that are the
building blocks of macroscopic organisms (like ourselves, the trees, and birds.).

Something to keep in mind is that most cells are colorless, and thus, many times preparing slides also
involves adding stains (dyes) to color the cells so they are more easily viewed. The slides you will
practice with today are either naturally pigmented or have been stained so we can find them more
easily.

Procedure:

Part 1: Introduction to the Microscope and its parts

1. Go to https://www.ncbionetwork.org/educational-resources/elearning/virtual-microscope and
select “Launch Activity” and then wait for the program to load.

2. Click on the Guide link at the bottom of the home page.

3. Read through the six parts of the Guide, starting with the Introduction. You can use the arrows
at the bottom of the Guide box to guide you through the chapters or select the chapter heading
on the left.

4. Answer the following questions as you read through the Guide:

Eyepiece Lens
a. What is the typical magnification of an eyepiece lens? 10x
b. What is the power/magnification of the sample eyepiece lens that is pictured?
Oil Immersion Lens 100x
c. When is an oil lens typically used? to be used with oil
d. Why is the oil used? because it has a higher power lens and has special
markings on the side of it

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 Microscope Care
e. How should you safely handle a microscope? gf
Terminology
f. What is the Abbe Condenser used for?
g. What does the Achromatic Lens due?
h. What is the Arm?
5. When you have completed all six sections, click Close.

6. Next click on the Learn link (bottom of the page), which will take you to an image of a
microscope with question marks.

7. Starting at the top of the microscope, click on the question marks identifying the parts of the
microscope. Label those parts found on this diagram and answer the questions below the
diagram:

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.

What is the special paper cleaning material specifically designed to be used for cleaning lenses
without scratching them?

How does immersion oil increase the resolution of the image viewed through the eyepiece?

What is another name for eyepiece lens?

What is the purpose of the stage?

When would you need to use the nosepiece?

Why is the objective lens given that name?

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 What is the magnification of the scanning objective lens?
What is the magnification of the low-power objective lens?
What is the magnification of the mid-power objective lens?
What is the magnification of the high-power objective lens?

Under what magnification would you typically use the diaphragm to adjust the amount of light
passing through the stage opening?

When should you use the fine focus adjustment knob?

What should never be used to clean microscope lenses because they can damage the lens and
they are not lens paper?
8. Click on the Next button (bottom right).

9. Start on the left and click on the question mark on each lens. When the lens enlarges, click on
each question mark until each turns into a green check mark. Read the descriptions and
complete the following table:

Magnification of the
Lens Color band on the lens
lens in the simulation

Eyepiece N/A

Scanning Objective Lens

Low Power Objective Lens

High Power Objective Lens

Immersion Oil Lens

10.Click on the Next button (bottom right).

11.Click on the Dry Slide and Oiled Slide buttons to see the difference in why immersion oil is used
for the 100X objective lens.
Label these microscope views identifying whether they are immersion oil or dry:

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 12.Click on the Next button (bottom right).

13.Click on the Eyepiece Options and Lens Options to learn about calculating total magnification.
Try all combinations and see how the Letter E slide image changes.

How is total magnification in a microscope calculated?

Complete the following table as you try all of the different combinations of eyepiece
magnification and objective lens magnification:

Eyepiece Objective Lens Total

Magnification Magnification Magnification

14.Click on the Next button (bottom right) to return to the home page.

PART 2: How to use a compound microscope to view slides

1. Click on the Explore link (bottom of the home page).

2. Click on the question mark on the slide box.

3. In the Slide Catalog, click on the Sample Slides.

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4. Click on the Letter E slide. It will automatically be placed on the stage of the microscope.

5. When the Microscope View window opens, make sure that the 4X circle is highlighted in blue.
NOTE: Always begin examining slides with the lowest power objective.

6. Use the slider under Coarse Focus to find the E.

NOTE: The coarse adjustment knob should only be used when you are viewing a specimen
with the 4X objective lens.

What is happening with the microscope in the background view when you adjust the course
focus?

What do you notice about the letter “e” as you are viewing it through the objective lens?

7. Then use the slider under Fine Focus to make the image “crisp and clear.”

8. You can click on the “e” in the viewing window to move the image and visualize different parts.
Click on the view to center the “e” as best as possible.
Take a snip/capture of your view of the letter “e” in the center of your view at 4X with a screen
shot and paste that image in the table below.

9. Next click on the 10X circle. The nosepiece on the microscope will rotate automatically.

The 10X objective lens has what ring color to help identify it?

10. Repeat steps 6 – 8 to see part of the “e”. Take a snip/capture of your view of the letter “e” in
the center of your view at 10X with a screen shot and paste that image in the table below.

11. Click on the 40X circle and repeat steps 7 & 8. You may need to use the slider under Light
Adjustment for better visualization. Click on the view to center the “e” as best as possible.
Take a snip/capture of your view of the letter “e” in the center of your view at 40X with a
screen shot and paste that image in the table below.

12. Click on the 100X circle. A notice to add immersion oil will open.

13. Click on the question mark on the immersion oil bottles to add oil to the microscope.

14. Repeat steps 7 & 8. You may need to use the slider under Light Adjustment again for better
visualization. Click on the view to center the “e” as best as possible.
Take a snip/capture of your view of the letter “e” in the center of your view at 100X with a
screen shot and paste that image in the table below.

Paste the snipped/screen shot

image of the letter “e” as seen
Total through the lenses
Objective Lens
Magnificatio (make sure to recenter the view)
Magnification
n ADJUST THE SIZE OF THE
SNIP/IMAGE CAPTURE AS NEED TO
FIT IN THE TABLE SPACE

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 4X 20X

10X 50X

40X 200X

100X 500X

15. When you have visualized the Letter “e” slide using all 4 objective lenses, click on Remove
Slide (top right).

16. Read the notice about using lens paper to clean the immersion oil off the microscope and click
on the question mark over the lens paper. Choose wisely!

17. Click on the Main button (bottom left corner) to return to the home page.

18. Click on the Explore link (bottom of the home page) to go back to the slide box.

19. Click on the question mark on the slide box.

20. In the Slide Catalog, click on the Plant Slides

21. Click on the Plant Cells. It will automatically be placed on the stage of the microscope.

22. Make sure the setting is on the 4X objective lens and use the course adjustment slide to focus
on the cells.

23. Change to the 10X objective lens and use the fine adjustment slide to focus on the cells.

24. Finally, change the view to the 40X objective lens and use the fine adjustment slide to focus on
the cells. You may need to use the slider under Light Adjustment again for better visualization.
Click on the view to center the cells as best as possible.

25. Take a snip/capture of your view of the cell in the center of your view with a screen shot and
paste that image in the table below.

26. Click on Remove Slide (top right).

27. Click on the question mark on the slide box.

28. Repeat steps 21 – 27 for the different type of cells listed in the table below. Make sure to start
with 4X magnification and then switch to 10X and finally to 40X, focusing the image at each
magnification. Then complete the following table with snips/screen shots of the cells centered
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 under the listed objective lens – Make sure to note which magnification you should be
sketching.

Paste the snipped/screen shot

image of the specimen as seen
Objective Total through the lenses
Cell Lens Magnificati (make sure to recenter the view)
Magnification on ADJUST THE SIZE OF THE
SNIP/IMAGE CAPTURE AS NEED TO
FIT IN THE TABLE SPACE

Plant Cells 40X 200X

Onion Root 40X 200X

Spider Leg 10X 50X

Spider 40X 200X

Bacteria
100X
(Acid Fast Mix)
(oil 500X
-
immersion)
Staphylococcus

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 Bacteria
100X
(Endospore
(oil 500X
Stain)
immersion)
Bacillus

Human
(Adipose 40X 200X
Tissue)

Human
40X 200X
(Blood)

Human
(Compact 10X 50X
Bone)

29. When you have finished sketching all of the cells listed in the table above you are welcome to check out
focusing on any of the additional slides in the slide box.

30. Click on the Main button (bottom left corner) to return to the home page.

PART 3: Demonstrate Comprehension

You are now finished with the virtual portion of the lab. Now complete the following comprehension
questions to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of compound light microscopes:

1. A 40X objective lens is also known as what type of lens?

2. What is immersion oil and why is it used?

3. 100X lens is also know as what type of lens?

4. How should a microscope be carried?

5. When cleaning immersion oil from a 100X lens, what should be used?

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 6. For a total magnification of 20X, what objective lens magnification would you need with a 5X
eyepiece?

7. What is the total magnification for the following: 15X eyepiece and 10X objective?

8. What is the total magnification for the following: 15X eyepiece and 4X objective?

9. What is the total magnification for the following: 5X eyepiece and 10X objective?

10. How are the course and fine adjustment knobs similar?

11. How are the course and fine adjustment knobs similar?

12. Recall the view of the letter “e” under low power magnification, why do you think the letter is
seen as upside down and backwards?

13. Based on your observations (and sketches), do all cells have the same size? Support your
answer with specific observations from your drawings.

14. Based on your observations from this table above, identify the following as prokaryote or
eukaryote and explain how you determined your answer.

Objective
Total
Lens Prokaryote or Explanation for how you
Cell Magnificatio
Magnificati Eukaryote? determined your answer
n
on

Plant Cells 40X 200X

Onion Root 40X 200X

Spider Leg 10X 50X

Spider 40X 200X

Bacteria
100X
(Acid Fast Mix)
(oil 500X
-
immersion)
Staphylococcus

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 Bacteria
100X
(Endospore
(oil 500X
Stain)
immersion)
Bacillus

Human
(Adipose 40X 200X
Tissue)

Human
40X 200X
(Blood)

Human
(Compact 10X 50X
Bone)

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