Microscope Parts and Operation

Overview

This lecture explains the main parts of a compound light microscope and demonstrates its basic operation and proper care procedures.

The arm and base are used to carry and support the microscope.
Oculars (eyepieces) are adjustable for eye width and have 10x magnification.
The revolving nosepiece holds three objective lenses: 10x, 40x, and 100x magnification.
The stage supports the slide and has a clamp to keep the slide in place.
Stage moving controls allow back-and-forth and side-to-side movement of the stage.
Coarse adjustment knob moves the stage quickly up or down for rough focusing.
Fine adjustment knob moves the stage in small increments for precise focusing.

The condenser, located beneath the stage, focuses light on the specimen and is usually kept in the topmost position.
The iris diaphragm lever controls the amount of light passing through the condenser.
The light source is situated under the condenser, with a switch to turn it on and a dial to control brightness.

Clean oculars and objectives with lens paper; use lens cleaner if oil was used.
Clean the condenser if necessary.
Before storing, turn the brightness down, turn off the microscope, switch to the lowest power objective, and lower the stage.
Wrap the power cord around the base or arm and cover the microscope with a dust cover if available.

Oculars (Eyepieces) — Lenses you look through, typically with 10x magnification.
Objectives — Lenses on the nosepiece with varying magnification powers (e.g., 10x, 40x, 100x).
Coarse Adjustment — Large knob for moving the stage up/down quickly.
Fine Adjustment — Small knob for fine-tuning the focus.
Condenser — Lens below the stage that concentrates light onto the specimen.
Iris Diaphragm — Lever that adjusts the light amount passing through the condenser.