How to Identify Microscope Parts
- 1). Make a rough sketch of a microscope on a piece of paper. As you identify the parts of the microscope, you can make notes on the drawing about where the parts are located to help you understand how they interact.
- 2). Examine the top of the microscope. The piece that you look into to view the specimen is known as the eyepiece, and the tube that extends down from the eyepiece is known as the body tube. Make notes of this on your sketch.
- 3). Look at the part of the microscope that has the rotating disc, and the three to four different lenses. The rotating disc is known as the revolving nosepiece, and the lenses are known as the objective lenses. The objective lenses allow you to adjust the magnification. Make note of the location of these parts on your sketch.
- 4). Examine the part of the microscope that is behind the revolving nosepiece. You can identify this part as the arm of the microscope. Make note of this on your sketch.
- 5). Examine the part of the microscope that is beneath the revolving nosepiece. This structure is called the stage. It is where the microscope slide is placed. The stage often has clips, known as stage clips, which help to hold the slide in place. Under the stage is the iris diaphragm control and the condenser. These parts of the microscope help to regulate the amount of light that you choose to shine on the specimen.
- 6). Identify the part of the microscope that is located directly under the condenser. This structure is known as the illuminator, the light source for the microscope. Behind the illuminator is the fine and coarse adjustment knobs. The fine adjustment knob moves the stage small distances and the coarse adjustment knob moves the stage large distances. Make note of this on your sketch.
- 7). Observe the bottom part of the microscope. This part is known as the base.
