Microscope Flashcards
Arm
The part that connects the tube to the base.
Base
The bottom support of the microscope
Binocular Head
A microscope head with two eyepiece lenses - one for each eye. In a compound microscope there are two eyepieces but only one objective lens.
Focusing Drive - Coarse Focus
The rough focus knob which moves the objective lens toward or away from the specimen.
Condenser Lens
A lens mounted in or below the stage used to focus or condense the light onto the specimen - increases the illumination and resolution. (Collects the light from the illuminator and focus it on the specimen.)
Iris Diaphragm
A five hole-disc with each hole having a different diameter. Used to control the amount of light that passes through the stage opening and helps to adjust both the contrast and resolution of a specimen.
Eyepiece Lens
The lens at the top of the microscope that you look into. (usually 10x)
Focusing Drive - Fine Focus
Knob used to fine tune the focus on the specimen - also used to focus on various parts of the specimen.
Field of View
The diameter of the circle of light that you see when looking into a microscope. (As the power gets greater, the FOV gets smaller)
Illuminator
A source light mounted under the stage
Mechanical Stage
A flat surface where the slide with the specimen is placed. A mechanical way to move the slide around on your stage. It consists of two knobs - one moves toward or away from you and the other moves right or left.
Objective Lens
The lens closest to the object responsible for magnifying the image of specimen.
Pointer
Seen through the eyepiece of the microscope
Eyepiece or Oculars
A magnifying lens attached to the microscope which helps in magnifying the sample object.
Revolving Nosepiece
The part of the microscope which holds two or more objectives simultaneously to provide various magnifications in order to view the same specimen in various dimensions.
Body/Binocular Tube
holds the eye piece and connects it to the objective.
Contrast
The relationship between the luminance of an object and its background
Magnification
ability to magnify a specimen - total magnification of a microscope is determined by multiplying the magnification capability of the eyepiece lens by that of the objective lens. (objective lens x ocular lens)
Refraction
the bending of light as it passes from one substance to another.
Resolution
the ability of a lens system to show fine details of the object being observed. (the ability of the lenses to distinguish two points)
Focus
A means of moving the specimen closer or further away from the objective lens to render a sharp image.
Refractive index
the light bending ability of a medium
Immersion Oil
used to keep light from bending
Depth of Field
The depth or thickness of the object space that is simultaneously in acceptable focus. The distance between the closest and farthest objects in focus within a scene as viewed by a lens at a particular focus and with given settings.
