Compound Microscope

A compound microscope is regarded as one of the common microscopes that may be utilized for a variety of applications. 

The compound microscope (having two sets of lenses) generates a two-dimensional image of the specimen. The compound microscope is also known as a bright-field microscope because light flows straight through the two lenses from the light source to the eye. The area of view is highly lit by this process. 

It is frequently used in laboratories to examine specimens.

Fig. 1 The Compound Microscope

The compound microscope uses two different kinds of lenses.
  • The objective lens is positioned near the thing to be inspected.
  • The eyepiece allows you to see the image. The eyepiece is often referred to as the ocular lens.

Principle of Working

The light is forced through the thin transparent item. The objective lens captures a magnified view of the item. The captured view is the real image. The real image is then further magnified by the eyepiece or ocular lens and seen as the virtual image.

The compound microscope is mostly used to examine the structural specifics of individual cells, tissues, or organ parts. Compound microscope components can be divided into two categories:

  1. Non-optical components
  2. Optical components

Non-optical components

Base

The base, which can be either U- or horseshoe-shaped, is often referred to as the foot. The entire microscope is supported by this metallic framework.

Pillar

The pillar makes it possible to link the base with the arm.

Arm

The metal handle that is connected with the inclined joint is called as the arm, sometimes known as the limb. The arm supports the stage, the body tube, and the condenser.

Inclination Joint

The microscope may be inclined using the inclination joint if the observation must be done while seated.

Stage

It is a metallic platform with a hole in the middle that is attached to the bottom portion of the arm. Either side clips or mechanical stage clips are used to mount the microscopic slides on the stage.

Body Tube

The objective and ocular lenses are held at the two ends of the body tube. The head is the part of the body tube that houses the ocular lens, while the nose piece is the part that houses the objective lens. There is a channel for light rays to travel through the body tube.

Draw Tube

The draw tube is a tiny fixed tube that is attached to the top end of the body tube. The draw tube's primary job is to retain the eye's lens in place.

Rack and Pinion

The rack and pinion are fastened to the stage to focus the specimen.

Adjustment Screws

There are two sets of adjusting screws that may be utilized for either fine or coarse adjustments. The body tube moves over very small distances during a fine adjustment, whereas over longer lengths during a coarse adjustment. A crisp image may be achieved with fine adjustment.

Optical parts

Diaphragm

Through the diaphragm, the quantity of light that strikes the item may be adjusted. It may be found beneath the stage. The two different types of diaphragms are the disc and iris.

Condenser

It exists beneath the diaphragm. Light may be focused by sliding the condenser up or down to alter its position.

Reflector

A mirror mounted above the base is referred to as a reflector. The mirror has a concave mirror on one side and a plane mirror on the other. The concave mirror side is utilized when the light is low and the plane mirror side is when the light is strong. The reflector, diaphragm, and condenser work together to direct the light onto the target.

Objective Lenses

The nose piece is covered by these lenses. There are two to three different kinds of objective lenses:

  • 10 X (low power)
  • 40 X (high power)
  • 100 X (oil immersion)

The objective lens creates a true inverted image of the specimen within the body tube.

Ocular Lenses

The eyepiece is another name for the ocular lens. Through these lenses, the image of microscopic things may be seen. The ocular lens has the ability to magnify in four different ways:

  • 5 X
  • 10 X
  • 15 X
  • 20 X

Uses of Compound Microscope

  • Using a compound microscope in pathology labs makes it simple to identify diseases.
  • Compound microscopes are used in forensic laboratories to find human fingerprints.
  • A compound microscope may be used to find the presence of metals.
  • With the use of a compound microscope, studying bacteria and viruses is made simple.

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