Microscope 
-Sir Leomered P. Medina
MICROSCOPE 
A microscope is an instrument used to see 
objects that are too small for the naked eye. 
The science of investigating small objects using 
such an instrument is called microscopy. 
Microscopic means invisible to the eye unless 
aided by a microscope.
Parts and Functions of a 
Compound Microscope
Light Microscope 
SIMPLE COMPOUND 
Uses single lens Uses set lenses or a 
lens system
Simple Light Microscope
Compound Microscope
Compound Microscope 
Mechanical Parts Magnifying Parts Illuminating Parts 
Adjustments 
and Support 
Enlarge the 
specimen 
Provide the 
light
Mechanical Parts 
o Base 
– Bottommost portion that supports the 
entire/lower microscope 
o Pillar 
– Part above the base that supports the other 
parts 
o Inclination Joint 
– Allows for tilting of the microscope for 
convenience of the user
Inclination Joint 
Pillar 
Base
Mechanical Parts 
o Arm/Neck 
– Curved/slanted part which is held while 
carrying the microscope 
o Stage 
– Platform where object to be examined is 
placed 
o Stage Clips 
– Secures the specimen to the stage
Mechanical Parts 
o Stage Opening 
o Body Tube 
– Attached to the arm and bears the lenses 
o Draw Tube 
– Cylindrical structure on top of the body tube 
that holds the ocular lenses
Draw Tube 
Stage 
Body 
Tube 
Arm / 
Neck
Mechanical Parts 
o Revolving/Rotating Nosepiece 
– Rotating disc where the objectives are 
attached 
o Dust Shield 
– Lies atop the nosepiece and keeps dust from 
settling on the objectives
Dust Shield 
Revolving 
Nosepiece
o Coarse Adjustment Knob 
– Geared to the body tube which elevates or 
lowers when rotated bringing the object into 
approximate focus 
o Fine Adjustment Knob 
– A smaller knob for delicate focusing bringing 
the object into perfect focus
Coarse 
Adjustment 
Knob 
Fine 
Adjustment 
Knob
Mechanical Parts 
• Condenser Adjustment Knob 
– Elevates and lowers the condenser to 
regulate the intensity of light 
• Iris Diaphragm Lever 
– Lever in front of the condenser and which is 
moved horizontally to open/close the 
diaphragm
Iris Diaphragm 
Lever 
Condenser 
Adjustment Knob
Illuminating Parts 
o Mirror 
– Located beneath the stage and has concave and 
plane surfaces to gather and direct light in order to 
illuminate the object 
o Electric Lamp 
– A built-in illuminator beneath the stage that may eb 
used if sunlight is not preferred or is not available
Mirror / 
Electric Lamp
MAGNIFYING PARTS 
• Ocular / Eyepiece 
– Another set of lens found on top of the body 
tube which functions to further magnify the 
image produced by the objective lenses. It 
usually ranges from 5x to 15x.
Ocular/ Eyepiece 
Objectives
MAGNIFYING PARTS 
• Objectives 
– Metal cylinders attached below the nosepiece and 
contains especially ground and polished lenses 
• LPO / Low Power Objective 
– Gives the lowest magnification, usually 10x 
• HPO / High Power Objective 
– Gives higher magnification usually 40x or 43x 
• OIO / Oil Immersion Objective 
– Gives the highest magnification, usually 97x or 
100x, and is used wet either with cedar wood oil or 
synthetic oil
Total Magnification 
MMaaggnniiffiiccaattiioonn == OObbjjeeccttiivvee lleennss XX EEyyeeppiieeccee lleennss 
e.g. What is the total 
magnification if the objective lens 
is twenty times (X20) and the 
eyepiece lens five times (X5)? 
Magnification = 20 X 5 = X100
As magnification increases, detail 
increases but 
Onion cell 
40x 
Onion cell 100x 
Onion cell 400x 
less of the cell is seen
Caring for the Microscope 
1. Do not let any liquids to come in contact with 
the microscope. 
2. Always store the microscope inside a box 
after use. 
3. Return the objective lens onto low power after 
use. 
4. Carry the microscope by the arm. 
5. Use a soft clean tissue to wipe the lenses
MMiiccrroossccooppee 
sslliiddeess 
CCoovveerrsslliipp 
ss
Preparing a 
slide as a wet 
mount.
Use of stains 
 some parts of a plant cell can be clearly 
seen when the cell is mounted in water 
 E.g. an Elodea leaf cell: 
 cell wall 
 several chloroplasts
 other cell structures which are not so 
obvious can often be shown up more clearly 
by the addition of dyes called STAINS 
Iodine Solution 
Used to stain plant 
cells 
Methylene Blue 
Used to stain animal 
cells
A thin inner layer of 
epidermis is peeled 
off. 
1 2 
An onion is cut 
into quarters. 
One of the fleshy scale 
leaves is removed. 
Snapping leaf 
backwards exposes 
the epidermis. 
Epidermis is placed on 
slide & covered with 2-3 
drops of distilled water . 
Coverslip is lowered. 
A drop of stain is put 
at one end of slide. 
3 
5 
4 
6 
7 
Stain is drawn over 
specimen using a small 
piece of filter paper.
End 
-Sir Leomered P. Medina

Parts and functions of a microscope

  • 1.
  • 2.
    MICROSCOPE A microscopeis an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy. Microscopic means invisible to the eye unless aided by a microscope.
  • 3.
    Parts and Functionsof a Compound Microscope
  • 4.
    Light Microscope SIMPLECOMPOUND Uses single lens Uses set lenses or a lens system
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Compound Microscope MechanicalParts Magnifying Parts Illuminating Parts Adjustments and Support Enlarge the specimen Provide the light
  • 8.
    Mechanical Parts oBase – Bottommost portion that supports the entire/lower microscope o Pillar – Part above the base that supports the other parts o Inclination Joint – Allows for tilting of the microscope for convenience of the user
  • 9.
  • 10.
    Mechanical Parts oArm/Neck – Curved/slanted part which is held while carrying the microscope o Stage – Platform where object to be examined is placed o Stage Clips – Secures the specimen to the stage
  • 11.
    Mechanical Parts oStage Opening o Body Tube – Attached to the arm and bears the lenses o Draw Tube – Cylindrical structure on top of the body tube that holds the ocular lenses
  • 12.
    Draw Tube Stage Body Tube Arm / Neck
  • 13.
    Mechanical Parts oRevolving/Rotating Nosepiece – Rotating disc where the objectives are attached o Dust Shield – Lies atop the nosepiece and keeps dust from settling on the objectives
  • 14.
  • 15.
    o Coarse AdjustmentKnob – Geared to the body tube which elevates or lowers when rotated bringing the object into approximate focus o Fine Adjustment Knob – A smaller knob for delicate focusing bringing the object into perfect focus
  • 16.
    Coarse Adjustment Knob Fine Adjustment Knob
  • 17.
    Mechanical Parts •Condenser Adjustment Knob – Elevates and lowers the condenser to regulate the intensity of light • Iris Diaphragm Lever – Lever in front of the condenser and which is moved horizontally to open/close the diaphragm
  • 18.
    Iris Diaphragm Lever Condenser Adjustment Knob
  • 19.
    Illuminating Parts oMirror – Located beneath the stage and has concave and plane surfaces to gather and direct light in order to illuminate the object o Electric Lamp – A built-in illuminator beneath the stage that may eb used if sunlight is not preferred or is not available
  • 20.
  • 21.
    MAGNIFYING PARTS •Ocular / Eyepiece – Another set of lens found on top of the body tube which functions to further magnify the image produced by the objective lenses. It usually ranges from 5x to 15x.
  • 22.
  • 23.
    MAGNIFYING PARTS •Objectives – Metal cylinders attached below the nosepiece and contains especially ground and polished lenses • LPO / Low Power Objective – Gives the lowest magnification, usually 10x • HPO / High Power Objective – Gives higher magnification usually 40x or 43x • OIO / Oil Immersion Objective – Gives the highest magnification, usually 97x or 100x, and is used wet either with cedar wood oil or synthetic oil
  • 24.
    Total Magnification MMaaggnniiffiiccaattiioonn== OObbjjeeccttiivvee lleennss XX EEyyeeppiieeccee lleennss e.g. What is the total magnification if the objective lens is twenty times (X20) and the eyepiece lens five times (X5)? Magnification = 20 X 5 = X100
  • 25.
    As magnification increases,detail increases but Onion cell 40x Onion cell 100x Onion cell 400x less of the cell is seen
  • 26.
    Caring for theMicroscope 1. Do not let any liquids to come in contact with the microscope. 2. Always store the microscope inside a box after use. 3. Return the objective lens onto low power after use. 4. Carry the microscope by the arm. 5. Use a soft clean tissue to wipe the lenses
  • 27.
  • 28.
    Preparing a slideas a wet mount.
  • 29.
    Use of stains  some parts of a plant cell can be clearly seen when the cell is mounted in water  E.g. an Elodea leaf cell:  cell wall  several chloroplasts
  • 30.
     other cellstructures which are not so obvious can often be shown up more clearly by the addition of dyes called STAINS Iodine Solution Used to stain plant cells Methylene Blue Used to stain animal cells
  • 31.
    A thin innerlayer of epidermis is peeled off. 1 2 An onion is cut into quarters. One of the fleshy scale leaves is removed. Snapping leaf backwards exposes the epidermis. Epidermis is placed on slide & covered with 2-3 drops of distilled water . Coverslip is lowered. A drop of stain is put at one end of slide. 3 5 4 6 7 Stain is drawn over specimen using a small piece of filter paper.
  • 32.