Stereo or dissecting Microscope
Gives an erect 3-D view of the specimen. Specimen size measured in millimetres.
Digital microscope
Various types that allow the capture of digital images.
Compund or light microscope
Has more than one lens and its own source of light. Can be monocular or binocular. Specimen size can be measured in micrometres.
Electron microscope
Uses beams of electrons (not light) to capture very small specimens (in nanometres)
Other Types
You can view large and solid surfaces or specimens. Used in microsurgery.
Uses:
At St Columba's we have the dyno light which is more like the stereo microscope.but it allows you to capture digital omages of your pecimen for publishing.
Uses:
Used to measure minute particles such as viruses and bacteria. As well as eukaryotic cells,transparent thin tissues and other specimens.
Uses:
Used to take very detailed images such as surfaces and hair tyoes of insect or cell surfaces....
Practice Prac. - Using a microscope
Following document explains procedures on how to use an electron microscope. Activity 1- What do you see under Light microscope* Read handout Using a Compound Microscope
Use light microscope (lowest magnification) to observe an “e” from a newspaper. As the e is quite big probably the lowest magnification is suitable for this activity. The "e" should be placed on slide in the write direction i.e. facing you.
What do you see under the microscope? Draw the "e" How is the "e" positioned?
Use a ruler to estimate the size of the letter "e". What does this tell you about the field of view of the magnification you used?
Activity 2 - Drawing specimens under the microscope
Read Biozone -Biological Drawings. In your groups discuss the rules about drawing specimens under microscope.
Use light microscope to draw a prepared microscope slide. Choose a red or white blood cell and onion cell if available.
Make accurate drawings at smallest and highest magnification. Identify magnification of drawings. Include the field of view in your drawings and draw the cells relative to this field of view.
Activity 3 - Pond Water
Collect a drop of pond water and place it on a slide with a groove in it (if available).
Add a cover slip over the drop. It is best to wet one side of coverslip before you use forceps to lower it down.
Look under microscope and draw different cells that you can see.
Activity 4 - Creating a wet mount
Watch the video below on how to prepare a slide using a wet mount.
Making a wet mount
Prepare a wet mount using onion skin cells. Draw the cells you see under the microscope. Can you see the following structure- Cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus or vacuoles.
Repeat using Iodine. Draw what you see. How is it different from first slide?
Repeat using saline solution and iodine. Draw what you see. How is it different?
Write a short paragraph explaining what you have learnt.
Cell Structure and Function - Lecture
- Field of View and scales
Add a scale to your biological drawings. Before you do this we need to learn how to determine the Field of View and use this to create a scale.
Field of View
The field of view of a microscope refers to the circular area seen when looking down a microscope. For the particular microscope in the biology lab, the diameter of the field of view for each magnification is given below.
Magnification
Diameter of field of view
X 1000
180 um
X 400
450 um
X 100
1800 um
x 40
4500 um
Note 1000um = 1 mm Estimating Size of cells - drawing a scale Field of view
Making measurements under the microscope This is a good video that explains how to work out the size of objects seen under microscope once you know the field of view
Field of view This video is a little slow but does explain how to work out the size of the field of view at low power and high power
Different type of Microcopes
Synchotron
Gives an erect 3-D view of the specimen. Specimen size measured in millimetres.
Various types that allow the capture of digital images.
Has more than one lens and its own source of light. Can be monocular or binocular. Specimen size can be measured in micrometres.
Uses beams of electrons (not light) to capture very small specimens (in nanometres)
At St Columba's we have the dyno light which is more like the stereo microscope.but it allows you to capture digital omages of your pecimen for publishing.
Used to measure minute particles such as viruses and bacteria. As well as eukaryotic cells,transparent thin tissues and other specimens.
Used to take very detailed images such as surfaces and hair tyoes of insect or cell surfaces....
Practice Prac. - Using a microscope
Following document explains procedures on how to use an electron microscope.Activity 1- What do you see under Light microscope* Read handout Using a Compound Microscope
to ensure you use microscope correctly.
Activity 2 - Drawing specimens under the microscope
- Read Biozone -Biological Drawings. In your groups discuss the rules about drawing specimens under microscope.
- Use light microscope to draw a prepared microscope slide. Choose a red or white blood cell and onion cell if available.
- Make accurate drawings at smallest and highest magnification. Identify magnification of drawings. Include the field of view in your drawings and draw the cells relative to this field of view.
Activity 3 - Pond WaterActivity 4 - Creating a wet mount
Cell Structure and Function - Lecture
- Field of View and scales
Field of View
The field of view of a microscope refers to the circular area seen when looking down a microscope. For the particular microscope in the biology lab, the diameter of the field of view for each magnification is given below.
Estimating Size of cells - drawing a scale
Field of view
Using scales to measure size
The following will help you better understand how to use the microscope to measure scale size.
Resources
Different types of Microcopes
Best Microscope reviews
Different types of Microscopes
Australian Synchotron