Tutorial 2: Microscopy Basics

1. What is the refractive index, and how does it affect the velocity of light?

2. How are lenses used in microscopy, and what role do they play in image formation?

3. Why is immersion oil used in microscopy, and how does it affect resolution?

4. Define microscope resolution and explain its significance in microscopy.

Types of Light Microscopes

5. Name five different types of light microscopes mentioned in the lecture.

6. What distinguishes a compound microscope from other types of microscopes?

7. In what scenarios might a bright-field microscope be the most suitable choice?

8. How does a phase-contrast microscope enhance the visibility of living cells?

9. What are the advantages of using a differential interference contrast microscope (DIC)?

Specimen Preparation and Staining

10. Why is specimen fixation important in microscopy, and what are two common fixation
techniques?

11. How does staining enhance the visibility of microscopic specimens?

12. Differentiate between ionizable dyes and simple stains used in microscopy.

13. Explain the purpose and procedure of Gram staining in microbiology.

14. When is acid-fast staining particularly useful, and which microorganisms does it target?

Electron Microscopy

15. How do electron microscopes differ from light microscopes in terms of their illuminating
beams?

16. What is the key advantage of electron microscopy in terms of resolution?

17. Describe the operation of a transmission electron microscope (TEM).

18. How does a scanning electron microscope (SEM) create images, and what kind of
information does it provide?

Other Microscopy Techniques

19. What is the primary purpose of confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM)?

20. How does electron cryotomography differ from traditional electron microscopy techniques?

21. Explain how atomic force microscopy (AFM) works in creating images.

General Concepts

22. Why is it essential to choose the appropriate microscopy technique for a given research
question?
 23. Describe the significance of understanding staining techniques in microbiology.

24. How can the knowledge of microscopy and staining methods aid in medical microbiology
studies?

25. Give an example of when you might prefer using a fluorescence microscope in research.

Critical Thinking and Application

26. Suppose you are studying a newly discovered bacterium. Which microscopy technique(s)
would you choose to observe its structure and why?

27. In a hypothetical experiment, you need to visualize the internal structures of live bacterial
cells. Which microscope would you use?

28. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of staining techniques in specimen preparation.

29. Imagine you're a microbiologist studying a soil sample. Which microscopy technique would
you use to examine the microorganisms in their natural habitat?

30. Can you think of a scenario where combining multiple microscopy techniques might be
beneficial for a research project?