LABORATORY

Chapter 1
Introduction to Biology
Parts and Function of a Compound Microscope

The first microscope designed by Anton van Leeuwenhoek was

very simple but very useful. Today’s microscope have a much improved
design, are easier to use, and offer much greater magnification. The
principles of microscopy basically remain unchanged; that is, light passes
through the object being viewed, and the image of the object is en-
larged by a series of lenses (objective lens and ocular lens).
With the help of microscope, biologists are able to elucidate the
detailed concepts of cell structure and function. The dissecting micro-
scope, for example, is used for the examination of gross specimens and
for their dissection under low power. Other types of microscopes, like
the ultraviolet microscope and the electron microscope, are very compli- Anton van Leeuwenhoek
cated and expensive, but have much greater magnifying power.
The type of microscope used in most Biology classes is the compound light microscope. It contains a
combination of lenses and can magnify objects normally not seen with the naked eye. Under a microscope,
the details of objects are very sharp. The extent to which the microscope can distinguish two objects that
are close together is called resolution, or resolving power. High resolution is needed to see the details of
very small cell pats. Come microscopes have a special type of high-magnification lens, called an oil immer-
sion lens, which increases resolution. Although microscope can have the same magnifying power, they can
differ in resolving power.
  define and identify  Understand how
the parts of the each part works
microscope for better under-
standing of the
specimen to be
examined

PARTS OF THE COMPOUND LIGHT MICROSCOPE

A. Mechanical Parts- These consist of precise parts, chiefly made of metal, that support and adjust the op-
tical and illuminating parts.
1. Base- heavy Y-shaped foot on which the microscope stands.
2. Pillar- short supporting piece arising from the base.
3. Arm- short curved handle used in carrying the micro-
scope.
4. Inclination joint- joint between the pillar and the arm
used to tilt the upper parts.
5. Body Tube- attached to the arm; bears the lenses.
6. Draw tube- upper portion of the body tube which
bears the eyepiece.
7. Revolving nosepiece- revolving structure at the lower
end of the body tube, which bears the lower lenses or
objectives.
8. Dust shield-metallic structure above the nosepiece, which protects the lower lenses or objectives.
9. Course adjustment knob- screw used to bring the specimen into focus.
10. Fine adjustment knob- screw below the coarse adjustment knob used for more delicate focusing.
11. Stage- platform with a central aperture and two clips to hold the slide being studied.
12. Mechanical stage- mechanism attached to the stage for ease in moving the slide and specimen.
B. Illuminating Parts- These consist of parts used to illuminate the specimen or object.
1. Mirror- found below the stage; has a concave and a flat surface, both of which gather and direct light
to illuminate the object.
2. Iris diaphragm- found above the mirror; consists of several metal blades which form a circular open-
ing that may be enlarged or reduced to control the amount of light reaching the object.
3. Condenser- fond immediately beneath the stage. The iris diaphragm and the condenser constitute the
substage.
C. Optical Parts- These consist principally of special types of carefully ground and polished glasses aligned
on an optical axis for the enlargement of the image of the specimens.
1. Eyepiece or ocular- 6X, 10X or 15X; it is found on top of the body tube. This is the part used to peep
through the microscope. It is made of a metal tube with two lenses- a small one at the top of the
eyepiece and a larger one below. The eyepiece should only be removed to check whether the speci-
men is at the center or to replace with another eyepiece. Various eyepieces have different powers of
magnification. These can be distinguished by the number engraved on top of the eyepiece. Without it,
dust will enter the tube and settle on the objectives.
2. Objectives
a. Low-Power Objective (LPO;4X-10X)- with this objective, the object may be more easily found and
then moved to the center of the field. (The lowest magnification is 4X; this is usually called the scan-
ner.)
b. High-Power Objective (HPO; 40X-60X)- with this objective, greater magnification is obtained so that
the detailed structure can be studied.
c. Oil-Immersion Objective (OIO;100X)- with this objective, greater magnification than HPO is obtained.
This is often used in microbiological examinations and makes use of special oil that reduces the diffu-
sion of light rays passing (through the oil) from the specimen to the objective.

Reference/s
Ilagan&Mojica(2012); Laboratory Manual and
Workbook in General Biology; C&E Publishing, Inc.