Simple
Microscop
e
and its
Parts
How a Microscope Works
Convex Lenses
are
curved glass used
to make
microscopes Convex
(and glasses etc.) Lenses bend
light and focus
it in
one spot.
How a Microscope
Works
Ocular Lens Objective Lens
(Magnifies Image) (Gathers Light,
Magnifies
And Focuses Image
Body Tube Inside Body Tube)
(Image Focuses)
•Bending Light: The objective (bottom)
convex lens magnifies and focuses (bends) the
image inside the body tube and the ocular
convex (top) lens of a microscope magnifies it
(again).
Circa 1000AD –
The first vision aid
was invented
(inventor
unknown) called a
reading
stone. It was a glass sphere that
magnified when laid on top of
reading materials.
Circa 1284 –
Italian, Salvino D'Armate is credited
with inventing the first wearable eye
glasses.
1590 – Two Dutch eye glass
makers, Zaccharias Janssen and
son Hans Janssen experimented
with multiple lenses placed in a
tube. The Janssens observed
that viewed objects in front of the
tube appeared greatly enlarged,
creating both the forerunner of
the compound microscope and
the telescope.
1665 – English
physicist, Robert
Hooke looked at a
sliver of cork
through a
microscope lens
and noticed some
"pores" or "cells" in
it.
• 1655 –
Robert Hooke
used a
compound
microscope to
observe pores
in cork
– He called
them “cells”
1674 – Anton van Leeuwenhoek built a
simple microscope with only one lens to
examine blood, yeast, insects and many
other tiny objects.
•Leeuwenhoek was the first person to
describe bacteria, and he invented new
methods for grinding and polishing
microscope lenses that allowed for
curvatures providing magnifications of up
to 270 diameters, the best available
lenses at that time.
18th century – Technical innovations
improved microscopes, leading to
microscopy becoming popular among
scientists. Lenses combining two
types of glass reduced the "chromatic
effect" the disturbing halos resulting
from differences in refraction of light.
1903 – Richard
Zsigmondy developed
the ultramicroscope
that could study
objects below the
wavelength of light.
He won the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry in
1925.
1931 –
Ernst Ruska
it possible to
view objects
as small as
the diameter
of an atom.
•Compound Microscope
•Dissection Microscope
•Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
•Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
Compound microscopes are light
illuminated. The image seen with this
type of microscope is two dimensional.
This microscope is the most commonly
used. You can view individual cells, even
living ones. It has high magnification.
However, it has a low resolution.
Paulownia Wood c.s.
200x
Frog’s blood
1,000x
A dissection microscope is light
illuminated. The image that appears is
three dimensional. It is used for
dissection
to get a better look at the
larger specimen. You cannot
see individual cells because it
has a low magnification.
(also called stereo
microscope)
Head of a moth pupa
60x
Sunflower with moth pupa in the
stem
10x
SEM use electron illumination. The image
is seen in 3-D. It has high magnification
and high resolution. The
specimen is coated in gold
and the electrons bounce
off to give you and exterior
view of the specimen. The
pictures are in black and
white.
pigeon blood
cockroach antenna
TEM is electron illuminated. This
gives a 2-D view. Thin slices of
specimen are obtained. The electron
beams pass
through this. It has
high magnification
and high
resolution.
bacillus bacteria
dividing
mitochondrion
Ocular Lens
Body Tube
Nose Piece
Arm
Objective
Lenses
Stage
Stage
Clips
Coarse Adj.
Diaphragm Fine Adjustment
Light Source
Base
Skip to Magnification Section
•#9 Eye Piece/ Ocular Lens
•Magnifies the specimen
image
•It is where you look
through to view the
specimen placed on the
stage.
#10 Arm
• the part of the microscope
supporting the body tube.
•It is the frame to which the
base, body and stage are
attached.
#11 Stage
• Slides are placed on
•Supports the
slide/specimen
#12 Coarse Adjustment
Knob–
•Used to make large changes
in focus. NOTE Never use this
when viewing on high power
•Moves the stage up and
down LARGER focusing of the
image.
#13 Fine Adjustment
Knob
•Used to small adjustments
of focus
•This knob moves the
stage slightly to sharpen
the image for PRECISION
focusing.
#14 Base
•Used to safely transport
the microscope
•Supports the microscope
and is also used for
carrying the microscope.
#1 BodyTube
• Reflects light up to the
viewers eye.
•It supports the eyepiece
and lenses.
•It also maintains the
proper distance between
the eyepiece and the
objective lenses.
• #2 Revolving
Nosepiece
• Allows for quick change
of objectives
• It holds the objective
lenses and can be
turned to increase the
magnification
#3 Scanner
• The first lens you use
when doing proper
microscope work. Usually
3x,4x or 5x magnification
#4 Low Power Objective
(LPO)–
•Usually marked 10x or 12
x magnification
• #5 High Power Objective
(HPO)
• highest magnification used.
Usually 40X, 43x or 60x
magnification.
• NEVER use the course
adjustment when using this
lens.
#6 Stage Clips –
•Use to keep the slide in
place.
•These 2 clips hold the
slide/specimen in place on
the stage.
#7 Diaphragm
• Use to vary the amount of light
passing through the slide.
Usually it is better if the amount
of light is low.
•It controls the amount of light
on the slide/specimen
#8 Light Source –
•Sends light up through the
diaphragm and through the
slide for viewing
Slide # 7
How a Light Microscope Works
1. Use lenses to make small objects
appear larger
2. Compound light microscope: Two
lenses separated by a tube
3. Lenses magnify an object by
bending the light that passes
through the lens
4. Magnification: ability to make
things appear larger than they are
5. Resolution: fineness of detail that
can be seen in an image
Magnification
• To determine your magnification…you
just multiply the ocular lens by the
objective lens
• Ocular 10x Objective 40x:10 x 40 =
400 So the object is 400 times
“larger”
Objective Lens have
their magnification
written on them.
Ocular lenses usually
magnifies by 10x
Credits
• You and the Natural World:
Integrated Science by Lilia G.
Vengco and Teresita F. Religioso.
Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.
• Discover Science by Allas, et. al.
Diwa Learning Systems Inc.
• http://www.freeclubweb.com/
powerpoints/science/index.html
