Light Microscope – Labeled Diagram, Definition, Principle, Types, Parts, Applications

The study of microorganisms has come a long way since its inception, with advancements in technology and research driving the field of Microbiology forward. The ability to observe and understand microorganisms has given us an insight into the world of tiny organisms that are crucial to life on Earth.

The first simple microscope was created by Dutch spectacle makers, Zaccharias Janssen and his father Hans. They experimented with lenses and combined them in a tube, which allowed them to observe objects that were nearby as appearing closer and larger. Although not recognized as a scientific discovery, it paved the way for further experimentation and scientific progress.

Antony van Leeuwenhoek, an amateur Microbiologist, made the first simple microscope that enabled him to observe the presence of tiny living organisms in pond water. His microscope was made up of a double convex glass lens held between two silver plates. This marked the beginning of the study of Microbiology and the observation of microorganisms through microscopy.

The application of microscopy in Microbiology has revolutionized the field, allowing scientists to visualize and magnify cells and microorganisms to better understand their structures and mechanisms. The advancements in technology have enhanced the visualization process, leading to new discoveries and breakthroughs in the field of Microbiology.

The evolution of Microbiology has been a journey of discovery, from the creation of the first simple microscope to the advancements in technology that have made it possible to observe and understand microorganisms. This has led to a better understanding of the world of microorganisms and their crucial role in life on Earth.

History of Light Microscope

The history of the light microscope may be traced back to Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the pioneer of microbiology and a Dutch scientist. In the late 1600s, he constructed primitive microscopes with a single lens that enabled him to observe microbes and other minute specimens. During the succeeding centuries, advancements in lens technology led to the creation of compound microscopes with many lenses, which offered enhanced magnification and clarity. In the 1870s, German scientist Ernst Abbe constructed the first workable compound microscope. Today, light microscopes remain an indispensable instrument in numerous disciplines, including biology, medicine, and materials research.

What is a light microscope?

• A light microscope is a biology laboratory gadget that employs visible light to detect, magnify, and expand extremely small things. They use lenses to concentrate light on the specimen, thereby magnifying it and generating an image. Typically, the specimen is positioned close to the microscope lens.
• Magnification varies significantly based on the types and number of lenses that comprise a microscope. There are two types of microscopes based on the number of lenses: the Simple light microscope (which has limited magnification since it utilises a single lens) and the Compound light microscope (it has a higher magnification compared to the simple microscope because it uses at least two sets of lenses, an objective lens, and an eyepiece). The lenses are placed in such a way that they can efficiently bend light to magnify the image.
• The light microscope is able to make a picture by focusing a light beam through a very small and transparent specimen. The image is then magnified for viewing by passing it through one or two lenses. The specimen’s transparency enables for the easy and rapid transmission of light. Specimens may contain bacteria, cells, and other microorganisms.

Principle of a light microscope (optical microscope) – How does a light microscope work?

The ability of a light microscope’s lens to bend light and focus it on a specimen, which results in the formation of an image, is what determines the microscope’s magnification, as was noted previously. Light microscopes visualise an image by employing a glass lens. Refraction occurs when a ray of light travels from one medium into another and experiences bending at the boundary between the two mediums. The refractive index, which is a measurement of how much a substance slows the speed of light, is what determines whether or not light will bend around an object. The refractive indices of the two mediums that constitute the interface are what define the direction and amplitude of the bending of the light as it passes through the interface.

When light is passed through a medium with a greater refractive index, such as air to glass, it normally slows down and bends towards the normal, perpendicularly to the surface. On the other hand, when light is passed through a medium with a lower refractive index, such as glass to air, it normally accelerates the light penetration and causes the light to bend away from the normal.

If an object, like as a prism, is placed between these two mediums, that is, between water and air, the prism will cause an angle to be introduced into the bending of the light. The light is bent at an angle thanks to the small lenses’ ability to act in this way. The light rays, once being received by the convex lens, are then focused at a certain location, which is referred to as the focal point (F-point). The focal length of a lens is defined as the distance in millimetres that separates the lens’s optical centre and its focal point.

A microscope makes use of lenses whose magnification power is predetermined. This is possible because the magnification power of a lens is directly connected to its focal length; lenses with a shorter focal length are able to magnify objects more than lenses with a longer focal length.

When it comes to microscopy, resolution is the single most important component. Resolution refers to the capacity of a lens to discern between very small objects that are located quite close to one another. The resolution of a light microscope is dependent on both the wavelength of the light that it utilises as well as the numerical aperture of its lens system. A numerical aperture is a specification of the light wavelengths that are created when the specimen is lit.

A minimum distance (d) between two objects that distinguishes them to be two separate entities, determined by the wavelengths of the light, can be calculated using an Abbe equation by using the wavelength of the light that illuminated the specimen (Lambda, λ) and the numerical aperture  (NA, n sin Ɵ) i.e. d=0.5 λ/n sin Ɵ. The distance between the two objects is determined by the light’s ability to pass through the specimen.

The Science of Light Microscopes: Understanding Refraction and Magnification

The light microscope has been a valuable tool in various fields of study, providing a magnified view of objects too small to see with the naked eye. The science behind light microscopes is the concept of refraction and the ability of a lens to bend light. In this article, we will delve into the details of refraction and how it affects magnification in a light microscope.

What is Refraction?

Refraction is the bending of light when it passes through two media having varying refractive indices. The direction and magnitude of this bending are determined by the indices of refraction of the two media forming the contact.

Refractive Index

The refractive index quantifies how much a substance retards the speed of light. The larger a medium’s refractive index, the more it slows down light and the more the light’s bending.

How to use a light microscope?

1. Connect the light microscope to a power supply as the first step. If your microscope’s illuminator is a mirror, you can skip this step. Find a location where natural light is readily available.
2. Turn the rotating nosepiece until the lowest objective lens is in place.
3. Mount your specimen on the stage as the third step. However, before to doing so, ensure that your specimen is well secured by placing a coverslip over it.
4. Use the metal clips to secure the slide in place. Ensure that the specimen is centred directly under the lowest objective lens.
5. Observe the specimen through the eyepiece and slowly turn the coarse adjustment knob to bring it into focus. Ensure that the slide does not come in contact with the lens.
6. Adjusting the condenser for maximum light output is the sixth step. Due to your low power objective, you may need to reduce the illumination. Adjust using the diaphragm beneath the stage.
7. Rotate the fine adjustment knob until the image of your specimen is more distinct.
8. Examine your samples in Step.
9. After looking with the lowest magnification objective, switch to the medium magnification objective and readjust the focus using the fine adjustment knob.
10. After focusing on the high-power aim, proceed to it.

Role of Refraction in Light Microscopes

The refractive index of the glass lens in light microscopes is used to bend light and concentrate it on the specimen. The bending of light enables the lens to provide a magnified image of the specimen. In a light microscope, magnification is defined by the lens’s capacity to bend and focus light on the specimen.

In conclusion, refraction is fundamental to the operation of light microscopes. By comprehending the science of refraction and how it impacts magnification, we can appreciate the technology that enables us to perceive the invisible world. The light microscope is an indispensable instrument in a variety of academic disciplines, as it provides a magnified view of objects that would otherwise be undetectable to the naked eye.

Types of light microscopes (optical microscope)

Simple light microscopes and compound light microscopes, both of which make use of lenses, are the types of microscopes that are used to observe specimens in the advanced discipline of microbiology. The magnification process in simple light microscopes is carried out by means of a single lens, but in compound lenses, the magnification process is carried out by means of two or more lenses. This indicates that a series of lenses are arranged in such a way that the first lens in the series is magnified by a greater amount than the subsequent lenses in the series.

The following are some examples of modern types of light microscopes:

1. Bright field Light Microscope
2. Phase Contrast Light Microscope
3. Dark-Field Light Microscope
4. Fluorescence Light Microscope
5. Confocal light microscope
6. Ultraviolet Microscope

What is Brightfield Light Microscope or Compound light microscope?

This is the most fundamental type of optical microscope that is used in laboratories that specialise in microbiology. It creates a black image against a bright background. It consists of two lenses and has widespread application for seeing plant and animal cell organelles, as well as some parasites like Paramecium, once they have been stained with fundamental stains. Its functionality is dependent on being able to deliver an image with a high resolution, which in turn is largely dependent on the correct utilisation of the microscope. This indicates that a sufficient amount of light is required to permit sufficient focussing of the image, which is necessary in order to produce an image of high quality. A compound light microscope is another name for this type of microscope.

Light Microscope Labeled Diagram

Parts of a bright-field microscope or Compound light microscope

An optical microscope, the bright-field microscope (or compound light microscope) is an invaluable tool in the fields of biology, medicine, and education. Transmission light is used to create an image of the specimen under the bright-field microscope. The purpose of each component of a bright-field microscope will be covered in this article.

1. Eyepiece: The eyepiece is the lens nearest to the spectator, and it magnifies the image created by the objective lenses. The eyepiece is commonly composed of glass or plastic and has a 10x magnification. When looking at a specimen through a microscope, the first lens an observer sees through is the eyepiece, which magnifies the image.
2. Nosepiece: The objective lenses are housed in a rotating turret located in the nosepiece. The magnification of the specimen being studied can be altered by switching in different objective lenses of varying magnifications. The nosepiece may accommodate up to four objective lenses, with 4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x being the most popular.
3. Arm: The arm of a microscope is what holds the body tube and the nosepiece up. The arm holds the microscope steady and lets the viewer move the nosepiece and body tube into the ideal position.
4. Internal Body Tube: Connecting the microscope’s eyepiece and nosepiece is the body tube. The iris diaphragm, which modulates the quantity of light that reaches the specimen, and the light source (usually a bulb or LED) are both housed in the body tube. The knobs used to alter the focus of the specimen being seen are housed in the body tube.
5. Stage: The stage, a flat platform placed above the objective lenses, is where the specimen is kept for examination. There are clips or a mechanical stage on the stage to hold the specimen in place, and the position of the specimen can be adjusted by the observer. The specimen is placed on a stage, and a light shoots up from behind it to illuminate it so it can be seen under the microscope.
6. Illumination System: The microscope’s lighting system is the component responsible for illuminating the specimen. There is a bulb or LED, a power supply, and a way to adjust the brightness that make up the lighting system. When using a bright-field microscope, the illumination system is crucial because it produces the light that passes through the specimen and creates the image.
7. Diaphragm: The amount of light reaching the specimen is adjusted by the diaphragm, which is part of the lighting system. The microscope’s diaphragm is housed in the body tube, and it takes the form of an iris diaphragm. By adjusting the diaphragm, the observer is able to modify the quantity of light falling on the specimen and thus the overall contrast of the image.
8. Focus Knobs: Adjusting the focus of the specimen being viewed is done with the knobs on the microscope’s body tube. The focus knobs allow the observer to adjust the distance between the objective lenses and the specimen, bringing the object into sharp focus. The bright-field microscope’s focus knobs are crucial for obtaining a high-quality image of the specimen. As we have seen, the bright-field microscope is an intricate optical apparatus with many interdependent parts. Components such as the viewport, ocular, nasal, torso, performance, and lighting lenses

How do you calculate magnification on a light microscope?

As the objective lens is kept parfocal during visualisation, the image does not shift out of focus as the objective lens is switched. The picture is focused on the condenser by the objective lens, creating a huge, sharp image within the microscope, which is then magnified even more by the eyepiece.

The virtual image refers to the expanded, high-quality image of the object that can be viewed in a microscope. Multiply the magnifications of the eyepiece and the objective to get the total magnification. Standard magnification is between 40X and 100X, depending on the lens power, and is neither too high nor low.

Calculation of magnification = Magnification of objective lens/magnification of the eyepiece lens

The objective lens is critical for both magnification and clarity, or resolution. Prescott defines “resolution” as a lens’s capacity to “separate or differentiate” minute objects that are “closely connected together.”

The eyepiece is used to observe an enlarged version of an item, although its magnification range of 8X-12X (10X typical) is significantly less than that of the objective lens, which may increase the magnification and resolution of a microscope by a factor of 40X-100X.

Applications of the Bright Field Light Microscope or Compound light microscope

Light microscopy has numerous applications in scientific research. Numerous occupations in the sciences and engineering require the use of a microscope.

Light Microscopy in Biology

• A microscope is the preferred tool of a microbiologist. Microscopic organisms such as bacterial and fungal colonies are routinely examined with light microscopes. Together with more advanced electron microscopes and computer imaging software, they expose the mysteries of life that are invisible to the naked sight.
• The specialty of biochemists and biophysicists is researching the processes that occur within biological systems. They work daily with bio components such as enzymes to comprehend how their interplay provides answers to certain practical concerns. In addition to sophisticated electron microscopes and computer systems, optical or light microscopes are utilised for this task.
• Biological technicians whose responsibilities involve preparing biological samples for laboratory analysis, such as blood and bacterial cultures, must have extensive knowledge of microscope operation.

In Forensic Science

• Law enforcement scientists are responsible with analysing a variety of crime scene evidence samples. These samples can range from garment fibres to hair follicles containing DNA. The results of these analyses are essential for solving tens of thousands of cases each year.

In Gemology

• Jewelers and gemologists use microscopes to estimate the worth of a gem, to examine its fine features, and to verify that each piece is polished properly.
• Gemologists and gem appraisers are responsible for identifying the type of gemstone and determining its quality. In such a position, the microscope is the principal instrument for verification.

In Environmental Sciences

• Researchers in geoscience and environmental research use light microscopy for a variety of purposes. For instance, investigating pollutants in a water source requires looking at the microbiota present in its samples.
• Geologists are intimately involved with minerals. Only by investigating the specifics can they be identified and ascribed appropriately.

In Schools & Colleges

Given the importance of microscopes in science, students learn how to operate a light microscope in the classroom. Early exposure to such a device and the ability to manipulate a microscope:

• acts as preparation for a future career in the sciences or allied sectors;
• assists students in conducting their own scientific study;
• and contributes to ongoing scientific research in the classroom.

Learning light microscopy and what it entails expands students’ intellectual and practical horizons to encompass an entirely new universe of possibilities.

What is Phase Contrast Microscope?

During the process of light penetration into the specimen that has not been stained, this particular form of optical microscope generates phase shifts, which are minor deviations in the light. These phase shifts are transformed into the image to signify that when light travels through the opaque specimen, the phase shifts brighten the specimen, generating an illuminated (bright) image in the backdrop. This occurs because the phase shifts brighten the opaque specimen.

When a transparent specimen is used with a phase-contrast microscope, the resulting images have a high degree of contrast. This is especially true for images of microbial cultures, thin tissue fragments, cell tissues, and subcellular particles. The employment of an optical approach to transform a specimen into an amplitude image that is visible through the eyepiece of the microscope is the core concept that underlies the operation of a phase-contrast microscope. This image is then observed by the observer.

The PCM may be used to see unstained cells, which are also referred to as phase objects. This ensures that the morphology of the cell is preserved and that the cells can be observed in their natural form while retaining a high level of contrast and clarity. This is due to the fact that the majority of cells are eliminated from the specimens whenever they are dyed and fixed, a phenomenon that can only be reversed by using a brightfield light microscope.

The contrast in the image is caused by the shifts that take place throughout the light penetration process, which are then transformed into changes in amplitude. When combined with features that boost contrast, such as fluorescence, they provide an image of the specimen that is clearer and more distinguishable.

Principle of the Phase Contrast microscope

The light that is absorbed at a specific wavelength is the combination of two sources: dispersed (Deflected) light and undiffracted light that reaches the specimen. Amplitude changes are the result of the contrast between the scattered light and the absorbed light. These amplitude differences are visible to the naked eye and can be captured by imaging instruments like the Phase Contrast Microscope.

The phase-contrast microscope’s condenser consists of a transparent ring that creates a cone of light and an opaque disc, or annular ring, that focuses the light onto the specimen. An image is formed at the objective lens as a result of the bending of some of the incident light at the specimen due to differences in light density. The image is formed when one set of photons collides with the phase ring on the phase plate while the other set of photons passes directly through the phase plate without colliding with it.

When used in conjunction with contrast-enhancing techniques like fluorescence, the Phase-Contrast Microscope’s objective lenses are capable of a wide range of applications. In order to provide a wide spectrum for contrasting the specimen and establishing a strong contrast in the background, the objective lenses are positioned in an internal phase plate with variation in the light absorption and phase displacement, i.e. undiffraction.

Parts of the Phase Contrast Microscope

The instruments of a Phase Contrast Microscope are based on the paths that light takes from the light source to the place where the image can be seen.

Because of this, it’s made up of:

• Source of light (Mercury arc lamp)
• Collective lens Aperture
• Condenser
• Condenser annular
• Specimen
• Objective
• Plate phases
• Light that was lost
• Ring phase

Applications of Phase-Contrast Microscope

What is Dark-Field Light Microscope?

The notion of darkfield microscopy dates back to the late 19th century, when German scientist Adolf Fick described the technique for the first time in his book “Die Mikroskopie des Lebenden Auges” (The Microscopy of the Living Eye). Fick utilised a simple microscope equipped with a unique condenser lens to illuminate samples from the side, so generating a black background behind the sample.

During the succeeding decades, darkfield microscopy was further developed and polished, and it became increasingly popular for the study of biological specimens. In the 1930s, American scientist Calvin S. Snyder created a darkfield condenser for use in microscopy, which facilitated the application of the technique by researchers.

Today, darkfield microscopy is utilised in numerous disciplines, including biology, medicine, and materials research. It is a useful instrument for examining clear, low-contrast, or difficult-to-observe specimens.

Principle of Dark-Field Light Microscope

Dark-field microscopy utilises a light microscope with an extra opaque disc beneath the condenser lens or a modified condenser with a blacked-out piece in the centre, which prevents light from the source from entering the objective directly.

The light is designed to flow through the condenser’s outer edge at a wide angle and strike the sample at an angle. For visualisation, the objective lens receives only the light scattered by the sample. All light that passes through the specimen and misses the target lights the specimen against a dark background.

Applications of the Dark Field Microscope

What is Fluorescent Microscope?

The technology of fluorescence spectrophotometry measures the intensity of light emitted by a substance after it has been stimulated by a given wavelength of light. This technology is employed to explore the properties of molecules and detect the presence of specific chemicals in a sample.

The beginnings of fluorescence spectrophotometry can be traced back to the early 20th century, when scientists began to examine the phenomena of fluorescence. In the 1920s and 1930s, scientists such as George Van Nevel and Robert Boyle began to develop methods for measuring the fluorescence intensity, establishing the framework for the contemporary methodology of fluorescence spectrophotometry.

Fluorescence spectrophotometry is a vital device in several disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, and medicine. It is used to explore the properties of molecules and identify unknown chemicals in chemistry. It is used to analyse the structure and function of proteins and other biomolecules in biology. In the medical field, it is used to detect the existence of illness signs and examine the interactions between drugs and biological substances.

Fluorescence spectrophotometry is also applied in several industrial and environmental applications, including water analysis, food safety and quality management, and forensic science.

Overall, fluorescence spectrophotometry is a potent technology that helps scientists to explore the properties of molecules and detect the presence of certain chemicals with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity.

Principle of fluorescence spectroscopy

In the case of the fluorescent Microscope, the specimen emits light. How? By introducing a dye molecule to the specimen. This dye molecule will generally become excited as it absorbs light energy, so it releases any trapped energy as light. The light energy that is emitted by the excited molecule has a long wavelength relative to its radiating light. The dye molecule is generally a fluorochrome, that fluoresces when exposed to the light of a certain precise wavelength. The image created is a fluorochrome-labeled image from the emitted light

The premise behind this operating mechanism is that the fluorescent microscope will expose the specimen to ultra or violet or blue light, which generates an image of the specimen that is radiated by the fluorescent light. They have a mercury vapour arc lamp that creates a strong beam of light that goes through an exciter filter. The exciter filter acts to transmit a certain wavelength to the fluorochrome stained specimen, producing the fluorochrome-labeled image, at the objective.

After the objective, there is a barrier filter that acts largely to remove any ultraviolet radiation that may be damaging to the viewer’s light, therefore diminishing the contrast of the image.

Applications of the Fluorescent Microscope

• Used in the visualisation of bacterial agents such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Used to identify particular antibodies generated against bacterial antigens/pathogens in immunofluorescence procedures by labelling the antibodies with fluorochromes.
• Used in ecological investigations to identify and examine microorganisms tagged by the fluorochromes
• It can also be used to discern between dead and active bacteria by the colour they emanate when treated with specific dyes
• Besides the above-discussed microscopes, there is one not widely used microscope known as the Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy. It is quite similar to the phase-contrast microscope whereby the images are created from the fluctuations in the light either deviated and or undeviated.

The difference is, here two beams of light are emitted to the specimen and focussed by a prism. One beam passes through the prism to the specimen while another passes through the glass slide transparent area without the specimen. The two beams then merge and interfere with each other to generate an image. It can be used to observe cell features such as endospores, bacterial cell walls, nuclei, and granules for unstained specimens.

What is Confocal light microscope?

The advantages of confocal microscopy over conventional optical microscopy include a shallow depth of field, the elimination of out-of-focus glare, and the capacity to gather optical slices serially from thick specimens. A notable application of confocal microscopy in the biomedical sciences is the imaging of cells and tissues that have typically been fluorescently labelled, whether they are preserved or alive.

Currently, the laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) is the most used confocal version for biomedical research. In this introduction, the LSCM is highlighted since it is the design most likely to be met by naïve users. In certain subfields of biological imaging, various equipment designs are favoured. The bulk of specimen preparation techniques can be applied, with minor modifications, to all types of confocal equipment and to other techniques for producing optical sections, including deconvolution techniques and multiple-photon imaging.

Principle of Confocal Microscope

Typically, a typical (wide-field) microscope uses different wavelengths from a light source to observe and illuminate a large area of a specimen, resulting in images that are hazy, unclear, and congested because cell sample images are collected from all directions without a focus point. To circumvent these problems, a confocal microscope is utilised. In wide-field and fluorescent microscopes, the entire specimen is illuminated, obtaining complete excitation and producing light that is detected by the microscope’s photodetector. However, the confocal microscope’s primary operating mechanism is point illumination.

Examining a specimen that has been stained with fluorochrome. When a beam of light is focused on a specific area of a fluorochromatic specimen, the objective lens focuses the resulting illumination onto a plane above the objectives. On the focal plane above the objective is an aperture whose primary function is to block any stray light from reaching the specimen. The diameter of the illumination point, as determined by the numerical aperture of the objective, is between 0.25 and 0.8 microns, and its depth is between 0.5 and 1.5 microns at its brightest.

The specimen typically rests on the plane of focus, which is the region between the camera lens and the perfect point of focus. Using the laser from the microscope, a plane on the specimen is scanned (beam scanning) or the stage is moved (stage scanning). The illumination is then measured by a detector, which produces an image of the optical section. Scannable optical portions are collected as data in a computer system to create a three-dimensional image. The image is measurable and quantifiable.
Additionally, the aperture found above the objective, which blocks stray light, contributes to the favourable outcome.

Regardless of the specimen’s thickness, the confocal microscope produces images with excellent contrast and resolution. In the high-resolution 3D image of cell complexes, including their structures, images are saved. The primary property of a confocal microscope is that it only detects what is in focus, while anything outside the focal point appears dark.

Using two high-speed oscillating mirrors, the microscope scanner scans the focussed beam across a predetermined area to provide an image of the object. Their motion is made possible by galvanometer motors. The first mirror translates the beam along the lateral X-axis, while the second mirror translates it along the Y-axis. After an X-axis scan, the beam flies fast back to the origin to begin a new scan; this movement is known as flyback. During the flyback procedure, no data is gathered; hence, the laser scanner only illuminates the point of interest, which is the focal point.

Parts of the Confocal Microscope

The Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope is made up of a few components:

1. Objective lens
2. Out-of-focus plane
3. In-focus plane
4. Beam splitters
5. Detector
6. Confocal pinhole (aperture)
7. Laser
8. Oscillator Mirrors

Applications of the Confocal Microscope

In addition to Biomedical sciences, Cells Biology, genetics, Microbiology, Developmental Biology, Spectroscopy, Nanoscience (nanoimaging), and Quantum Optics, the Confocal Microscope is utilised in a vast array of disciplines.

• In biomedical sciences, it is utilised for the quantitative and qualitative study of corneal endothelial cells in the analysis of eye corneal infections.
• Used to determine the presence of fungal elements in the corneal stroma during a keratomycosis infection, or for rapid diagnosis and prompt therapeutic intervention.
• It is utilised in the pharmaceutical industry to maintain thin-film medications, providing for quality and uniformity control over drug distribution.
• It retrieves data from some 3D optical storage devices. This has helped to quantify the age of the papyrus belonging to Magdalen.

What is Ultraviolet Microscope?

UV light is used by an ultraviolet microscope to observe specimens at a higher resolution than is feasible with a conventional brightfield microscope. It employs ultraviolet optics, light sources, and cameras.

Due to the shorter wavelengths of UV light (180-400 nm), the image produced at about double the magnification when utilising only visible light is sharper and more distinct (400-700 nm).

Light Microscope Worksheet Download

Proper Microscope Cleaning and Maintenance

A high-quality microscope is not inexpensive. Proper care and maintenance guarantees that your gadget will function well. Here are some essential guidelines for operating a light microscope.

• Never hold the microscope by the piece being examined. Support the stand and the arm while transporting the instrument.
• Always transport a microscope upright, as the eyepiece could become detached.
• Always switch off the illuminator after usage.
• Avoid harming the lenses by utilising a non-solvent cleaning agent.
• Utilize a microfiber cloth to remove dust and grime from lenses. You can acquire cleaning kits that make cleaning a microscope more secure and effective.
• Cover the microscope with a dust jacket when it is not in use.
• Do not speed through the viewing procedure while using a microscope. As they are susceptible to wear, handle the knobs with care and avoid rotating the nosepiece needlessly.

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