Navarro, Vince Daryll C.

MD 1Y2-1

Zoology (LAB)

PARTS OF A MICROSCOPE
Mechanical Parts
1. Arm Provides a carrying handle. Supports the body tube and upper optical system of
the microscope
2. Base Supports and stabilizes the microscope.
3. Stage The flat platform where you place your slides.
4. Mechanical stage clips Holds the slide in place.
5. Coarse focus adjustment Moves stage up and down a large amount for corse focus.
6. Fine focus adjustment Moves stage up and down a tiny amount for fine focus.
7. Mechanical Stage Adjustment Knob - Adjust the position of the slide held on the
mechanical stage.
8. Revolving nosepiece Rotates to al ow use of dif erent power objectives.
9. Body tube or Draw tube - Holds the ocular at one end and the nosepiece at the other. A
prism housed in the body tube helps to reflect light towards the eye.
10. Stage Aperture is the hole in the stage throughwhich the base (transmitted) light reaches
the stage
11. Ocular adjustment knob or Diopter Adjustment changes the focus on one eyepiece to
compensate for the difference in vision between your two eyes.

Illuminating Parts
1. Light source: a lamp at the base of the microscope that directs a beam of light up through
the specimen
2. Condenser illuminates the object by converging a parallel beam of light on it from a
built-in or natural source.
3. Iris Diaphragm the diaphragm is located just below the stage and controls the amount
of light which passes to the specimen and can drastically affect the focus of the image.
4. Switch - The rheostat ON/OFF switch is located either on the scope or on the external
power supply and is used to regulate light intensity.
5. Light Intensity Knob The light intensity knob is found on light microscopes and allows
you to change the intensity of the light on the sample. Different light intensities allow you
to view different parts more clearly.

Navarro, Vince Daryll C.

MD 1Y2-1

Zoology (LAB)

Magnifying Parts
1. Eyepiece / ocular lens Magnifies image produced by objective lens. The specimen is
viewed through it.
2. Objective Lens - This is a highly magnifying lens system, it is located close to the
specimen to be observed. Focuses and magnifies light coming through the slide.
- Smallest scanning- It magnifies 4 times.
- Low power objective: this lens has the lowest magnification of the three (it magnifies
10 times). This is the shortest of the objective lenses.
- High power objective: this lens has a higher magnification than the low power
objective (it magnifies 40 times). It is the objective that you will switch to view your
specimen in greater detail.
- Oil immersion objective: this lens has the highest magnification of the three (it
magnifies 100 times) and it is used in conjunction with immersion oil to view
specimens.