Microscopes Flashcards
(20 cards)
Body tube:
The body tube connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses.
Revolving nosepiece:
Part that holds objective lenses and can be rotated to easily change power.
10x lens
One of the most helpful lenses when observing and analysing glass slide samples.
40x lens:
Observing fine details within a specimen sample.
Oil immersion lens:
Will produce a brighter and sharper image than a similar design not using immersion oil
Stage clips:
Metal clips that hold the slide in place.
Diaphragm:
Adjusts the amount of light that reaches the specimen.
Light source:
The light source for a microscope. Most microscopes use a low-voltage bulb.
Ocular lens (eyepiece)
Magnifies the image produced by the microscope’s objective so that it can be seen by the human eye
Arm:
The arm connects the body tube to the base of the microscope.
Stage:
The flat platform where the slide is placed.
Coarse adjustment knob:
Brings the specimen into general focus.
Fine adjustment knob:
Fine tunes the focus and increases the detail of the specimen.
Base:
The base supports the microscope and it’s where light source/illuminator is located.
Advantages of light microscopes:
- Inexpensive to buy and operate.
- Relatively small.
- Both living and dead specimens can be viewed.
Disadvantages of light source:
- Light microscopes do not magnify at the same level as other options.
- Light microscopes have a lower resolution.
- Light microscopes cannot operate in darkness.
Advantages of electron microscopes:
- They have a much higher range of magnification (can detect smaller structures)
- They have a much higher resolution (can provide clearer and more detailed images)
Disadvantages of electron microscopes:
- cost
- size
- maintenance
Relative size of cells using scale:
Divide the number of cells in view with the diameter of the field of view to figure the estimated length of the cell. If the number of cells is 50 and the diameter you are observing is 5 millimetres in length, then one cell is 0.1 millimetre long.
What are microscopes used for?
A microscope is an instrument that is used to magnify small objects. Some microscopes can even be used to observe an object at the cellular level, allowing scientists to see the shape of a cell, its nucleus, mitochondria, and other organelles.
