Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Some Things You Should Know About Dissecting Microscopes


Dissecting microscopes are used for examining small organisms, fine dissection work and demonstration. You cannot use them to examine biological samples like cells. They are generally used to view larger samples and usually have a magnification power of less than 100x. The parts of this type of microscope include an eyepiece, a tube, a knob for adjusting magnification and focus, an arm, auxiliary lens, a stage plate and the base. The specimen is kept on the stage plate to be viewed.

These are usually used in schools for educational purposes. They can also be found in biological or research laboratories for examination and demonstration purposes.

The Parts

The tube of the microscope has an eyepiece on the top fitted with a lens to look through. There will also be a nose piece to support your nose in order to keep your head steady while using it. There is an objective lens at the bottom part of the tube. You will have to fit an objective lens depending on the type and size of the specimen you wish to view. You have to fit them depending on the sharpness of focus that you will need. You will need to use a finer focus for really small specimens.

There will be two more lenses in the condenser. These are light condensing lenses and are required to adjust the magnification of the microscope. The condenser is placed above the stage of the microscope. The stage is where the slide with the specimen is placed. The stage should be an adjustable one which can be maneuvered without you having to remove your eyes from the eyepiece.

The stage is placed above the diaphragm. The diaphragm controls the amount of light falling on the specimen. The light can either be transmitted from below the stage or above. It could be of many types but the fluorescent type is the best as it emits more light and less heat. You are able to see the magnified image of the specimen due to the manipulation of the light's reflection on the specimen.

Taking Care Of Them

All microscopes need to be handled with care and stored carefully. Dissecting microscopes need to have their lenses cleaned on a daily basis with a soft cloth so that they remain smudge and dust free. You should not allow any dampness to come on them so they should be kept away from water. Whenever you are not using them, you should keep them covered with dust covers. Microscopes need to be kept spotlessly clean. Any speck of dust on the lens can affect their proper functioning.

You must be very careful when picking up and carrying a microscope. It is imperative that you hold it with both hands. This way you can avoid bumping it into things or dropping it. If you drop it, the alignment of the stage and lenses can get ruined. Microscopes can be rather expensive so it is better to take proper care of them so that you can use them for much longer. You can get different accessories for microscopes. The best thing to do is to buy a case in which you can store the microscope and its accessories so that they do not get dirty or damaged.








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