MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY

Lab Report #2 (MICROSCOPY)

NAME: Arianne Jans E. Munar Date: February 16, 2021

Year and Section: BSN 1YR - 6

I. Identify the parts of the compound microscope. Choose from the word bank below.

Eyepiece(ocular)

Body tube

Nose piece

Arm
Low power

Medium Power
Stage
High power

Stage clips Coarse Adjustment

Diaphragm Fine Adjustment

Light source

Base

Microscope labeling. (n.d.). The Biology

Corner. https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/microscope_labeling.html
Word Bank:

-Arm - Eye piece - Iris Diaphragm Adjustment

-Base - Fine Focus Knob -Mirror (or light source)
-Coarse Focus Knob -High-power objective -Revolving Nosepiece
-Condenser -Low-power objective -Stage
-Condenser Focus Knob - oil immersion objective

II. Give the functions of each part of the microscope listed in the word bank.
 Arm- connects to the base and supports the microscope head. It is also used to carry the
microscope.
 Base- of the microscope supports the microscope and houses the illuminator.
 Coarse Focus Knob- are used to focus the microscope. Increasingly, they are coaxial knobs -
that is to say they are built on the same axis with the fine focus knob on the outside. Coaxial
focus knobs are more convenient since the viewer does not have to grope for a different
knob.
 Condenser-  is used to collect and focus the light from the illuminator on to the specimen. It
is located under the stage often in conjunction with an iris diaphragm.
 Condenser Focus Knob- moves the condenser up or down to control the lighting focus on the
specimen.
 Eye piece-  is what you look through at the top of the microscope. Typically, standard
eyepieces have a magnifying power of 10x. Optional eyepieces of varying powers are
available, typically from 5x-30x. 
 Fine focus knob- are used to focus the microscope. Increasingly, they are coaxial knobs -
that is to say they are built on the same axis with the fine focus knob on the outside. Coaxial
focus knobs are more convenient since the viewer does not have to grope for a different
knob.
 High-power objective- magnifies 40x, with total magnification 400x if the eyepiece lens is
10x power, and it is ideal for observing very fine detail, such as nerve cells in the retina or
the striations in skeletal muscle.
 Low-power objective- cover a wide field of view and they are useful for examining large
specimens or surveying many smaller specimens. This objective is useful for aligning the
microscope. The power for the low objective is 10X. Place one of the prepared slides onto
the stage of your microscope.
 oil immersion objective- is a technique used to increase the resolving power of a
microscope. This is achieved by immersing both the objective lens and the specimen in a
transparent oil of high refractive index, thereby increasing the numerical aperture of the
objective lens.
 Iris Diaphragm Adjustment- Found on high power microscopes under the stage,
the diaphragm is, typically, a five hole-disc with each hole having a different diameter. It is
used to vary the light that passes through the stage opening and helps to adjust both the
contrast and resolution of a specimen.
 Mirror-  it is used to reflect light from an external light source up through the bottom of
the stage. Nosepiece: This circular structure is where the different objective lenses are
screwed in. To change the magnification power, simply rotate the turret.
 Revolving nosepiece- This circular structure is where the different objective lenses are
screwed in. To change the magnification power, simply rotate the turret. Objective Lenses:
Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope.
 Stage-  are often equipped with a mechanical device that holds the specimen slide in place
and can smoothly translate the slide back and forth as well as from side to side.
III. Answer the following questions

1. What is parfocal microscope?

- Parfocal means that the microscope is binocular. ... Parfocal means that when one objective

lens is in focus, then the other objectives will also be in focus. C. Parfocal means that
the microscope is self-cleaning and needs no maintenance.

2. Explain the principle behind oil immersion objective.

-In light microscopy, oil immersion is a technique used to increase the resolving

power of a microscope. This is achieved by immersing both the objective lens and the specimen
in a transparent oil of high refractive index, thereby increasing the numerical
aperture of the objective lens.

3. When is it recommended to use the oil immersion objective?

- Oil immersion objectives are used only at very large magnifications that require high
resolving power. Objectives with high power magnification have short focal lengths, facilitating
the use of oil. The oil is applied to the specimen (conventional microscope), and the stage is
raised, immersing the objective in oil.

4. How have microscopes improved our understanding of microbes?

-Compound microscopes allow scientists to see microorganisms and cells. ... Without

these microscopes, we would not know about the existence of cells and therefore would not be
able to study DNA or make medical advances based on our knowledge of how different diseases
or conditions attack cells.

5. What are the limitations of microscopes and the information that we get from them?

-Since the microscope uses visible light and visible light has a set range of wavelengths. The

microscope can't produce the image of an object that is smaller than the length of the light wave.
Any object that's less than half the wavelength of the microscope's illumination source is not
visible under that microscope.
IV. Draw or attach pictures of specimen observed using LPO, HPO, Oil Immersion objective.

Objective. ( Give 2 examples for each )