Microscopy

Today for Science we learnt how to use a microscope.

Arm: Supports the body tube and is the part that you can grasp to carry the microscope. Pick up your microscope by its arm, keeping it upright, and supporting it underneath with your free hand. Set it gently on your lab desk.
 Base: Gives the microscope a firm, steady support.
Ocular lens (Eye piece): Magnifies ten times (l0x). This lens is often unattached, and thus it may fall out unless the microscope is kept upright.
Objectivelens:Magnifies the object by the factor marked on the particular lens. Low power (l0x) gives the smallest image, high power gives a large image (40x), and oil immersion gives the largest image (l00x). Sometimes a very low power scan objective (4x) replaces the oil immersion lens. *Objective lenses are always used in order: low, high, oil immersion.
Nosepiece: The revolving part to which objectives are attached. It must be firmly clicked into position when the objective is changed. Rough treatment can cause it to snap off.
Body tube: Joins the nosepiece to the ocular lens.
Stage: Supports the slide that is held onto it by stage clip, and has a hole so that light can shine up through the specimen. Always centre the specimen over this hole.
Coarse adjustment: Moves the body tube or stage up and down, depending on the design of the mi- croscope, to approximately the right position so that the specimen is in focus. This knob is used only with the low power.
Fine adjustment : Moves the body tube (or stage) up and down to precisely the right position so that the specimen is perfectly in focus. Use it to achieve fine focus with the low power objective and for all focusing with the high power and oil immersion objectives.
Light source: Usually a small electric light beneath the stage that is controlled by a push-button light switch. Sometimes a mirror is used to reflect light from another source into the microscope.
Iris diaphragm: Regulates how much light goes through the specimen. It is controlled by a lever that is moved back and forth.
Condenser: A lens located above the diaphragm which concentrates the light before it passes through the specimen. Its position is controlled by a knob on microscopes in which it is adjustable

First we viewed a letter cut out from a newspaper under a microscope, and found that it became upside down and inverted.

We then repeated the experiment, but with strings instead.

We then looked at cheek cells and plant cells.

Note: Elaboration on cells in next post