PARTS AND

FUNCTIONS OF
A COMPOUND
MICROSCOPE
EYEPIECE
• The lens the viewer looks
through to see the
specimen.

• 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x lens

DIOPTER
ADJUSTMENT
• Used to focus on one eye
piece so as to correct for
any difference in vision
between your two eyes.
BODY TUBE
TUBE (HEAD)
• Connects the eyepiece to
the objective lenses.
ARM
• Connects the body tube
to the base of the
microscope.
COURSE
ADJUSTMENT KNOB
• Brings the specimen into
general focus.
FINE ADJUSTMENT
KNOB
• Fine tunes the focus and
increases the detail of the
specimen.
REVOLVING
NOSEPIECE
• A rotating turret that
houses the objective
lenses.
• The viewer spins the
nosepiece to select
different objective lenses.
OBJECTIVE
LENSES
• The most important part
of the microscope as they
are closest to the
specimen.
Scanning/Low
Objectives
• This shortest objective is useful for getting
an overview of the slide (especially handy
with some of the slides that contain whole
organs like a section of the spinal cord,
lung, digestive tract, ovary, etc.).

• Has a magnification of 4x
Medium Power
Objectives
• The second lens you use when
doing proper microscope work.
• Usually 10 X
High Power Objectives
• This objective (sometimes called
the "high-dry" objective) is useful
for observing fine detail.
• NEVER use the course adjustment
when using this lens.
Oil Immersion
Objectives
• Used for observing the detail of individual cells
such as white blood cells, the cells involved in
spermatogenesis, etc.
• The lens must be used with a specially
formulated oil that creates a bridge between the
tip of the objective and the cover slip.
• The lens will not work without this special oil!
STAGE
• The flat platform where
the slide is placed.
STAGE CLIPS
• Metal clips that hold the
slide in place.
APERTURE
• The hole in the middle of
the stage that allows light
from the illuminator
ILLUMINATOR
• The light source of a
microscope
IRIS DIAPHRAGM
• Adjusts the amount of
light that reaches the
specimen.
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.
BASE
• The base supports the
microscope and it’s
where the illuminator is
located.