INTRODUCTION TO

MICROSCOPE
Prepared by:
Richie May A. Ramos
OVERVIEW
Having been constructed in the 16th Century, Microscopes have revolutionalize science with
their ability to magnify small objects such as microbial cells, producing images with definitive
structures that are identifiable and characterizable.

Microscopes are made up of lenses for magnification, each with its own magnification powers.
Depending on the type of lens, it will magnify the specimen according to its focal strength.

Their ability to function is because they have been constructed with special components that
enable them to achieve high magnification levels. They can view very small specimens and
distinguish their structural differences, for example, the view of animal and plant cells,
viewing microscopic bacterial cells.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1590: Two Dutch spectacle-makers and father-and-son team, Hans and Zacharias Janssen,

create the first compound microscope.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1667: Robert Hooke's famous "Micrographia" is published, which outlines Hooke's

various studies using the light microscope.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1675: Enter Anton van Leeuwenhoek, who used a simple microscope with one lens to
observe insects and other specimen. Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe bacteria. 18th
century: As technology improved, microscopy became more popular among scientists. Part
of this was due to the discovery that combining two types of glass reduced the chromatic
effect.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES
• 1830: Joseph Jackson Lister discovers that using weak lenses together at various distances
provided clear magnification
• Achromatic prototype
compound microscope.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• A Professor of Chemistry, John

Leonard Riddell, invented the
first practical binocular
microscope in the 1850s while
he was investigating cholera, a
devastating disease rampant in
the 19th Century. One limiting
factor was illumination. At first
sunlight concentrated with a
mirror was used to light the
specimen.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1878: A mathematical theory linking resolution to light wavelength is invented by Ernst

Abbe.
• Apochromatic microscope,
illuminates primary and
secondary color distortion
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES
• 1903: Richard Zsigmondy invented the ultramicroscope, which allows for observation of
specimens below the wavelength of light.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1932: Transparent biological materials are studied for the first time using Frits Xernike's
invention of the phase-contrast microscope.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES
• 1938: Just six years after the
invention of the phase
contrast microscope comes
the electron microscope,
developed by Ernst Ruska,
who realized that using
electrons in microscopy
enhanced resolution.
HISTORY OF MICROSCOPES

• 1981: 3-D specimen images possible with

the invention of the scanning tunneling
microscope by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich
Rohrer.
PARTS & FUNCTIONS OF
MICROSCOPE
THE STRUCTURAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE
• Head – This is also known as the body. It carries the optical parts in the upper part
of the microscope.
• Base – It acts as microscopes support. It also carries microscopic illuminators.
• Arms – This is the part connecting the base and to the head and the eyepiece tube to
the base of the microscope. It gives support to the head of the microscope and it is
also used when carrying the microscope. Some high-quality microscopes have an
articulated arm with more than one joint allowing more movement of the
microscopic head for better viewing.
THE OPTICAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE
• Eyepiece – also known as the ocular. This is the part used to look through the microscope.
Its found at the top of the microscope. Its standard magnification is 10x with an optional
eyepiece having magnifications from 5X to 30X.
• Eyepiece tube – it’s the eyepiece holder. It carries the eyepiece just above the objective lens.
In some microscopes such as the binoculars, the eyepiece tube is flexible and can be rotated
for maximum visualization, for variance in distance. For monocular microscopes, they are
none flexible.
• Objective lenses –these are the major lenses used for specimen visualization. They have a
magnification power of 40x-100X. There are about 1- 4 objective lenses placed on one
microscope, in that some are rare facing and others face forward.  Each lens has its own
magnification power.
THE OPTICAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE

• Nose piece – also known as the revolving turret. It holds the objective
lenses. It is movable hence it cal revolve the objective lenses depending
on the magnification power of the lens.
• The Adjustment knobs – These are knobs that are used to focus the
microscope. There are two types of adjustment knobs i.e fine
adjustment knobs and coarse adjustment knobs.
THE OPTICAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE
• Mechanical Stage – This is the section in which the specimen is placed for viewing. They
have stage clips that hold the specimen slides in place. The most common stage is the
mechanical stage, which allows the control of the slides by moving the slides using the
mechanical knobs on the stage instead of moving them manually.

• Stage clip-it hold the slides in place. If your microscope has a mechanical stage, you will be
able to move the slide around by turning two knobs. One moves it left and right, the other
moves it up and down.

• Stage control- controls located underneath the stage of a microscope that allows the
movement of the stage back and forth in order to allow examination of a microscope slide.
THE OPTICAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE
• Aperture – This is a hole on the microscope stage, through which the transmitted light from the
source reaches the stage.
• Microscopic illuminator – This is the microscopes light source, located at the base. It is used
instead of a mirror. It captures light from an external source of a low voltage of about 100v.
• Condenser – These are lenses that are used to collect and focus light from the illuminator into the
specimen. They are found under the stage next to the diaphragm of the microscope. They play a
major role in ensuring clear sharp images are produced with a high magnification of 400X and
above. The higher the magnification of the condenser, the more the image clarity. More
sophisticated microscopes come with an Abbe condenser that has a high magnification of about
1000X.
• Diaphragm – it’s also known as the iris. Its found under the stage of the microscope and its
primary role is to control the amount of light that reaches the specimen. It’s an adjustable
apparatus, hence controlling the light intensity and the size of the beam of light that gets to the
specimen.
 THE OPTICAL PARTS OF THE
MICROSCOPE
• Brightness Adjustment- to adjust the tone curve by changing the middle
point value of the brightness of the entire image. 

• Light Switch-This switch on the base of the microscope turns the

illuminator off and on.
 HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE?
• Step 1: Connect the light microscope to a power source. If your microscope
uses a mirror instead of an illuminator, you can skip this step. Instead, find a
place where natural light is easily accessible
• Step 2: Turn the revolving nosepiece so the lowest objective lens is in position.
• Step 3: Mount your specimen onto the stage. But before doing so, see to it that
your specimen is adequately protected by placing a coverslip on top of it.
• Step 4: Use the metal clips to keep your slide in place. Make sure the
specimen is positioned in the center, right under the lowest objective lens.
• Step 5: Look into the eyepiece and slowly rotate the coarse adjustment knob
to bring your specimen to focus. See to it that the slide does not touch the lens.
 HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE?
• Step 6: Adjust the condenser for the maximum amount of light. Since you're
on the low power objective, you may have to decrease the illumination. Use
the diaphragm under the stage to adjust.
• Step 7: Now slowly rotate the fine adjustment knob until you obtain a clearer
image of your specimen.
• Step 8: Examine your specimen.
• Step 9: After you're done viewing with the lowest power objective, switch to
the medium power objective and re-adjust the focus with the fine adjustment
knob.
• Step 10: Proceed to the high power objective once you have it focused.
 PROPER MICROSCOPE CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE

A good quality microscope is not cheap. Proper care and maintenance ensures your device
performs at its best. Here are important tips on how to handle your light microscope.

• Never hold the microscope by the piece. Support the stand and hold the arm when carrying
the instrument around.
• Always carry a microscope upright, as the eyepiece could fall off.
• Always turn the illuminator off after you use it.
 PROPER MICROSCOPE CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE

A good quality microscope is not cheap. Proper care and maintenance ensures your device
performs at its best. Here are important tips on how to handle your light microscope.

• Use a non-solvent cleaning solution to avoid damaging the lenses.

• Use a microfiber cloth when wiping off dust and dirt from lenses. There are microscope
cleaning kits you can purchase to make microscope cleaning safer and more adequate.
• When the microscope is not in use, cover it with a dust jacket.
• While using the microscope, do not rush through the viewing process. Be careful when
handling the knobs, and avoid turning the nosepiece unnecessarily, as they can wear out.
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