• All of the parts of a microscope work together -
Compound Microscope
• Microscope is the combination of two words;
"micro" meaning small and "scope" meaning
view.
• Early microscopes, like Leeuwenhoek's, were
called simple because they only had one lens.
Compound deals with the microscope having
more than one lens. Simple scopes work like
magnifying glasses
• Historians credit the invention of the compound
microscope to the Dutch spectacle maker,
Zacharias Janssen, around the year 1590.
• The compound microscope uses lenses and
light to enlarge the image and is also called an
optical or light microscope (vs./ an electron
microscope).
• The simplest optical microscope ( the
magnifying glass) has (10X) magnification.
• The compound microscope has two systems of
lenses for greater magnification, 1) the ocular,
or eyepiece lens that one looks into and 2) the
objective lens, or the lens closest to the object.
How it works:
The light from the illuminator passes through
the aperture, through the slide, and through the
objective lens, where the image of the
specimen is magnified.
• The then magnified image continues up through
the body tube of the microscope to the
eyepiece, which further magnifies the image
the viewer then sees.
• The parts of a microscope work together in
hospitals and in forensic labs, for scientists and
students, bacteriologists and biologists so that
they may view bacteria, plant and animal cells
and tissues, and various microorganisms the
world over.
Compound microscopes have furthered medical
research, helped to solve crimes, and they have
repeatedly proven invaluable in unlocking the
secrets of the microscopic world.
Parts and their function
• Eyepiece Lens: the lens at the top that you look
through. They are usually 10X or 15X power.
• Tube: Connects the eyepiece to the objective
lenses
• Arm: Supports the tube and connects it to the
base
• Base: The bottom of the microscope, used for
support
• Illuminator: A steady light source used in place
of a mirror. If your microscope has a mirror, it
is used to reflect light from an external light
source up through the bottom of the stage.
• Stage: The flat platform where you place your
slides. Stage clips 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.
• Revolving Nosepiece or Turret: This is the part
that holds two or more objective lenses and can
be rotated to easily change power.
• Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4
objective lenses on a microscope. They almost
always consist of 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X
powers. When coupled with a 10X (most
common) eyepiece lens, we get total
magnifications of 40X (4X times 10X), 100X ,
400X and 1000X.
-The shortest lens is the lowest power,
the longest one is the lens with the greatest
power.
-The high power objective lenses are
retractable (i.e. 40XR). This means that if they
hit a slide, the end of the lens will push in
(spring loaded) thereby protecting the lens and
the slide.
• Rack Stop: This is an adjustment that
determines how close the objective lens can get
to the slide. It is set at the factory and keeps
students from cranking the high power
objective lens down into the slide and breaking
things.
• Condenser Lens: focus the light onto the
specimen. Condenser lenses are most useful at
the highest powers (400X and
above). Microscopes with in stage condenser
lenses render a sharper image than those with
no lens (at 400X).
• Diaphragm or Iris: Many microscopes have a
rotating disk under the stage. This diaphragm
has different sized holes and is used to vary the
intensity and size of the cone of light that is
projected upward into the slide.
Using the Microscope
1. To carry the microscope grasp the microscopes
arm with one hand. Place your other hand
under the base.
2. Place the microscope on a table with the arm
toward you.
3. Turn the coarse adjustment knob to raise the
body tube.
4. Revolve the nosepiece until the low-power
objective lens clicks into place.
5. Adjust the diaphragm. While looking through
the eyepiece, also adjust the mirror until you
see a bright white circle of light.
6. Place a slide on the stage. Center the specimen
over the opening on the stage. Use the stage
clips to hold the slide in place.
7. Look at the stage from the side. Carefully turn
the coarse adjustment knob to lower the body
tube until the low power objective almost
touches the slide.
8. Looking through the eyepiece, VERY SLOWLY
the coarse adjustment knob until the specimen
comes into focus.
9. To switch to the high power objective lens, look
at the microscope from the side. CAREFULLY
revolve the nosepiece until the high-power
objective lens clicks into place. Make sure the
lens does not hit the slide.
10. Looking through the eyepiece, turn the fine
adjustment knob until the specimen comes into
focus
How to Focus Your Microscope
The proper way to focus a microscope is to start with
the lowest power objective lens first and while looking
from the side, crank the lens down as close to the
specimen as possible without touching it. Now, look
through the eyepiece lens and focus upward only until
the image is sharp. If you can't get it in focus, repeat
the process again. Once the image is sharp with the
low power lens, you should be able to simply click in the
next power lens and do minor adjustments with the
focus knob. If your microscope has a fine focus
adjustment, turning it a bit should be all that's
necessary. Continue with subsequent objective lenses
and fine focus each time.

Stereo microscope
 The stereo or dissecting microscope serves a
different purpose.
 It produces a 3-D visualization of the sample
being examined.
 Used to study the surfaces of solid specimens
or to carry out close work such as sorting,
dissection, microsurgery, watch-making, small
circuit board manufacture or inspection, and
the like.
Parts and their function
 Ocular Lenses- are the eyepieces that a person
uses to view a specimen. Most dissecting
microscopes have two ocular lenses set at a
magnification of 10×. However, you can
increase the magnification of a stereo
microscope simply by upgrading the ocular
lenses. This should be relatively easy to do since
manufactures usually indicate the magnification
levels of these parts of the microscope
 Light Source- is for illuminating specimens.
Some microscopes come with two sources of
light; one placed beneath the stage (incident
illumination) and the other one placed above
the stage (transmitted illumination).
 Stereo head- a stereo head with two eyepieces,
each set at 10x magnification, though it is
possible to upgrade to higher power
magnification levels.
 Top and bottom lighting- Many microscopes
have both top and bottom lighting. Top lighting
shines down on the stage to light up solid
specimens with direct illumination, and bottom
lighting is transmitted up through the stage to
highlight translucent objects.
 In conclusion, the important parts of a stereo
microscope include the objective lens, focus
knob, diopter, ocular lenses, base, stage plate,
arm, light source, and the rotating objective
turret.

 Diopter- allows a person to make slight ocular

lens adjustments. This is necessary because
people generally tend to have eyesight
inconsistencies in one or both eyes. By rotating
the diopter ring on one or both ocular lenses, a
person would be able to focus on a specimen
more clearly.

 Focus Knob-allows a person to move the

microscope’s head upwards or downwards,
making it possible to view a sharper image of a
specimen on the stage plate.

 Rotating Objective Turret-some microscopes

come with a rotating objective turret, which
allows one to change magnification of the
objective lens while viewing various specimens.

 Stage Plate-is basically where specimens and

objects are placed for viewing and it is usually
mounted on the base of the microscope under
the objective lens.

- On either side of the stage plate, there

are metal clips used to secure glass slides and
specimens in place. It is possible to change the
background color of the stage for optimal
contrast with specimen under observation.
Most dissecting microscopes come with black or
white stage inserts for this purpose.

 Stage clip- The parts that hold the microscope

slide in place on the stage