Light+Microscopy

Maggie Brower

__Light Microscopy __
//Common Light Microscopes: //
 * Basic Description: **
 * || Common Dissecting Microscope || Common Compound Microscope ||
 * Range of Magnification || __5x-30x __ || 40x- __100x __ ||
 * Type of Light || Transmitted and reflected || Transmitted ||
 * Type of image formed || 3D || 2D ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Thickness of specimen || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Can be thick (must fit under scope) || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Thin ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Size of specimen || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Can be larger (must fit under scope) || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Small ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Opacity of specimen || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Can be transparent and opaque || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Transparent ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Slide mount necessary? || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">No || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Yes ||


 * Purpose of Technique: **

The purpose of a light microscope __is__ that it uses visible light and magnifying lenses to examine small objects not visible to the naked eye, or in finer detail than the naked eye allows. Information that a light microscope provides is a visual of something that you could not see with your naked eye. It allows you to look at cells, parts of cells, microscopic organisms, assist in dissecting small organisms, etc__.__ __For example; bacteria is the smallest object that can be looked at it can be seen with a microscope at 100x magnification!__


 * Origin and History: **

Light microscopes __ dated back to 1595 __ __,__ when Zacharias Jansen of Holland invented a compound light microscope. __ This microscope had two lenses and one lens did the job of making objects bigger than the orginal image. These lens were able to magnify over 9x the orginal image, it was similar to a telescope(Saladin and Miller). __ Antony van Leeuwenhoek invented a simple (one-lens) microscope in1670 that magnified up to __200x__. __ Englishman Robert Hooke improved the compound microscope by adding what we know today as the stage, which held slide in place, the illuminator, and the coarse and fine function (Saladin and Miller). __ __** Slide Preparation **__ __ To use a microscope, a slide must be prepared and that is done by taking a specimen and placing it on a flat or deep slide. The difference between slides it the flat slide are flat and meant for simple organisms like bacteria, and the deep slides are meant for more complex organism like water bears. If cells are prepared then a dye can be used to see structures. A cover slip is added to the slide and then placed on the stage. Magnification adjustments are key, and the lens must never hit the slide because damage can occur to the slide and lens. If a specimen is very small, a high magnification would be used and if the specimen is larger than a lower magnification is needed. The goal is get the specimen in the field of view and have it be clear to see. __


 * References: **

Jones, Thomas E. History of the Light Microscope. [|<http://www.utmem.edu/~thjones/hist/hist_mic.htm>].

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Saladin, K.S., and Miller, S.E. Light microscopy. //Biology Reference. http://www.biologyreference.com/La-Ma/Light-Microscopy.html// __