Zooming In On Life 3.4

Question 1

How do you prepare a specimen?

Answer 1

Light microscopes function by allowing light to pass through the specimen to reach your eye. If the specimen is too thick, the object cannot be seen as clearly or may not be seen at all.
Careful peeling, scraping, slicing or squashing techniques can be used to thin specimens.

Question 2

How do you stain a specimen?

Answer 2

Many objects are colourless when viewed under the microscope, so specimens are often stained to make them easier to see. Methylene blue, iodine and eosin are some examples of common stains.