Microscopic Structures

LAB 2 Microscopic Structures

INTRODUCTION

1. The purpose of this lab1 is to become familiar with using the microscopes presented to us in this lab. Microscopes are required to view objects that are too small to be seen clearly by the human eye. The two microscopes used in this lab are:

A. the Compound microscope; and

B. the Stereoscopic Microscope.

Figure 2.1 Compound Light Microscope2

Figure 2.2 Stereoscopic Microscope3

Compound Microscope

2. The compound light microscope utilizes two sets of lenses to magnify the object. As seen in Figure 1, they are called the eyepiece located at the top of the microscope from which the student views the specimen and the objective which is near the specimen being viewed. Depending on the module the eyepiece magnification can range from 8 times (8X) to 15X1. The microscope can have three to five objective lenses with magnifications such as 4X (scanning power), 10X (Low power), 40X (High power) and 100X Oil immersion). Magnification of an object is determined by the following formula, Total magnification = magnification of the Object x magnifications of the eye piece.1

Table 2.1. Magnification of objects by the Compound light microscope

3. Illumination of the object is from the light source on the base of the scope (Figure 1). The key components of the compound light microscope as seen in Figure 1 and Figure 2 are as follows:

A. stage;

B. light source;

C. adjustable diaphragm;

D. arm;

E. objective lense (s);

F. eye piece; and

G. base.

4. The material covered will be:

A. learn to use the two types of microscopes;

B. using the microscopes to examine unfamiliar creatures;

C. preparing a wet mount slide; and

D. determining the magnification of the microscope while viewing specimens.

METHODS

5. The following resources were used in the lab:

A. lab manual;

B. compound Light Microscope;

C....