This is where you look into the microscope to see the image of the object you intend to study.
2. Body Tube
This is the long, skinny tube that holds the eyepiece above the microscope. It allows the light (from the lamp reflected from the mirror) to travel up from the objective lenses (see #4) to the eyepiece.
3. Nosepiece
No, this is not the part of the microscope where you put your nose. The nosepiece holds the two or three objective lenses. The nosepiece rotates around in a circle, allowing you to choose which objective lens you meant to use.
4. Objective Lenses: Scanning, Low, and High
Your microscope may have two or three lenses. These are attached to the nosepiece and vary in size. The shortest lens is the least powerful and the longest lens is the most powerful. Often, the people who make microscopes use different colored bands to identify the different powers.
5. Arm
Who knows how they came up with this name?! The arm holds the upper portion of the microscope above the stage. This is also where you grab the microscope anytime you decide to take it for a walk.
6. Coarse Adjustment Knob
Most microscopes have two round knobs – one small, and one large. The large knob allows you to move the upper portion of the microscope (eyepiece, body tube, nosepiece, and objective lenses) up and down so that you can focus on the slide. The coarse adjustment knob is usually on the arm, if not you might find it near the base.
7. Fine Adjustment Knob
Your microscope may or may not have this little knob just under the coarse adjustment knob. It’s there so you can fine-tune the image. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have one! With a little practice, you can clearly focus the image using the coarse adjustment knob.
8. Slide
The thin piece of glass that holds your specimens under the lens is called a slide.
9. Stage
Showtime! The stage is the place where the goodies you want to examine are placed. It’s the large, flat area with a hole in the middle directly under the objective lenses. It’s named the stage because this is where everyone looks to see what is going on, just like a real stage.
10. Stage Clips
On top of the stage there are two shiny clips. They should rest on either side of the hole in the middle of the stage. The stage clips hold the microscope slide in place under the lens.
11. Aperture
The aperture is the hole in the middle of the stage. It allows light to come up from behind the object you’re observing so that it’s easier to see.
12. Diaphragm
Under the stage, you will find a round disk with several different sized holes in it. This is called the diaphragm. It allows you to change the amount of light that comes up through the aperture. If you experiment with the size of the opening, you’ll find that some objects are easier to see with less light and some with more.
13. Lamp
One of these is located between the legs of the base, directly under the aperture. The lamp shines light up through the aperture. It makes it easier to see the object on the slide.
14. Base
The base holds the whole microscope up. It usually consists of two legs attached to the bottom of the arm.
15. Legs
Actually, they should be called feet, but these are the two things that hold the microscope in place. Separately, they are called legs; together, they are called base.
16. Coverslip
This holds your specimen in place on your slide.
17. Field of view
Refers to the part of the slide that you can see on the stage.