A&P Lab 5: The Microscope Flashcards
Rheostat
adjusts light intensity
Base
supportive bottom piece of the microscope; includes the substage light
Substage light
light within the base providing the light source for illumination of the specimen
Head
AKA body tube; upper part containing the viewing pieces (ocular & objective lenses, rotating nosepiece)
Ocular lenses
eyepieces; 2 removable lenses that you look through to observe the specimen
Nosepiece
located below the ocular lenses, it serves as the objective lenses; can rotate to change from 1 objective lens to another
Objective Lenses
3-4 objective lenses that are usually attached to the nosepiece, each with a different magnification; usually 4x (scanning), 10x (low), 40x (high), and 100x (oil immersion)
Arm
narrow, vertical part connecting the head and base; may be straight or curved; contains the stage, coarse/fine adjustment knobs, condenser, & iris diaphragm lever
Stage
flat platform connected to the arm and suspended beneath the objective lenses, upon which the microscope slide with its specimen is placed; often includes either a mechanical stage or stage clips, both of which keep the slide stationary during viewing
Coarse adjustment knobs
2 knobs on either side of the base of the arm; usually the largest knobs; turning them raises and lowers the stage, bringing it closer to or farther from the objective lens; control the focus; should only be used at 4x or 10x to avoid contacting the objective lens with the slide
Fine adjustment knobs
2 knobs usually located in the center of each coarse adjustment knob; used for precision focusing
Condenser
lens located just below the stage; concentrates light on the specimen
Iris diaphragm lever
lever located beneath the condenser; regulates light passing through the condenser
Parfocal
changing objective lenses does not change the focus on the specimen
Contrast
can improve the resolution of certain types of samples
