Technical Description of a Microscope

Technical Description of a Microscope:

Definition: A microscope is a device that uses lenses to make very small objects look larger ,so that they can be scientifically examined and studied.

Components:
The components of a microscope are classified into two categories:

1) Structural components:


Head/Body: It houses the optical parts in the upper part of the microscope.

Base: The base of the microscope supports the microscope and houses the illuminator.

Arm : It connects to the base and supports the microscope head. It is also used to carry the microscope.

2) Optical components:

Eyepiece or Ocular: Eyepiece or Ocular is what you look through at the top of the microscope. Typically, standard eyepieces have a magnifying power of 10x. 

Eyepiece: Eyepiece Tube holds the eyepieces in place above the objective lens. 

Objective lens: Objective Lenses are the primary optical lenses on a microscope. They range from 4x-100x .Objectives can be forward or rear-facing.

Nosepiece: Nosepiece houses the objectives. 

Coarse and fine focus knobs: They are used to focus the microscope. 

Stage: Stage is where the specimen to be viewed is placed. A mechanical stage is used when working at higher magnifications .

Stage Clips: Stage Clips are used when there is no mechanical stage.

Aperture: Aperture is the hole in the stage through which the base (transmitted) light reaches the stage.

Illuminator: Illuminator is the light source for a microscope, typically located in the base of the microscope. 

Iris Diaphragm: Iris Diaphragm controls the amount of light reaching the specimen. 

Condenser Focus knobs: Condenser Focus Knob moves the condenser up or down to control the lighting focus on the specimen.

Working:

Modern microscopes vary considerably in both form and complexity.  However, they all work on the same principle as the conventional microscope . In the light microscope, light rays which have passed through the specimen are transmitted through two sets of lenses, the objective, which is nearest to the specimen, and the eyepiece, which is further away from the specimen.  The magnified image of the specimen is first produced by the objective. This is known as the primary image. The eyepiece then magnifies the primary image into the final one that is seen by the observer.  The total magnification obtainable by the microscope is the product of the magnification of the objective and that of the eyepiece.

Diagram: