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Microscope Parts &

Specifications

Historians credit the invention of the

compound microscope to the Dutch spectacle
maker, Zacharias Janssen, around the year
1590 (more history here). The compound
microscope uses lenses and light to enlarge
the image and is also called an optical or light
microscope (versus an electron microscope).
The simplest optical microscope is the
magnifying glass and is good to about ten
times (10x) magnification.

The compound microscope has two systems of

lenses for greater magnification:

1. Ocular eyepiece lens to look through.

2. Objective lens, closest to the object. Before
purchasing or using a compound microscope, it
is important to know the functions of each part.
This information is presented below. Links will
take you to additional information and images.

The Functions & Parts of a

Microscope
What are the Parts of a
Microscope?
Eyepiece Lens: the lens at the top that you
look through, usually 10x or 15x power.

Tube: Connects the eyepiece to the objective

lenses.

Arm: Supports the tube and connects it to the

base.

Base: The bottom of the microscope, used for

support.

Illuminator: A steady light source (110 volts)

used in place of a mirror. If your microscope
has a mirror, it is used to reflect light from an
external light source up through the bottom of
the stage.

Stage with Stage Clips: The flat platform

where you place your slides. Stage clips hold
the slides in place. If your microscope has a
mechanical stage, you will be able to move the
slide around by turning two knobs. One moves
it left and right, the other moves it up and
down.

Revolving Nosepiece or Turret: This is the part

of the microscope that holds two or more
objective lenses and can be rotated to easily
change power.

Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4

objective lenses on a microscope. They almost
always consist of 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x powers.
When coupled with a 10x (most common)
eyepiece lens, total magnification is 40x (4x
times 10x), 100x , 400x and 1000x. To have
good resolution at 1000x, you will need a
relatively sophisticated microscope with an
Abbe condenser. An Abbe condenser is
composed of two lenses that control the light
that passes through the specimen before
entering the objective lens on the microscope.
The shortest lens is the lowest power, the
longest one is the lens with the greatest power.
Lenses are color coded and if built to DIN
standards are interchangeable between
microscopes. "DIN" is an abbreviation of
"Deutsche Industrial Normen". This is a German
standard that has been adopted internationally
as an optical standard used in most quality
microscopes. A typical DIN standard
microscope objective lens has a 0.7965"
(20.1mm) diameter threads, 36 TPI (threads per
inch), and a 55º Whitworth. Many high power
objective lenses are retractable (i.e. 40XR). This
means that if they hit a slide, the end of the
lens will push in (spring loaded) thereby
protecting the lens and the slide. All good
quality microscopes have achromatic,
parcentered, parfocal lenses.

Rack Stop: This is an

adjustment that
determines how
close the objective
lens can get to the
slide. It is set at the
factory and keeps
students from
cranking the high
power objective lens down into the slide and
breaking things. You would only need to adjust
this if you were using very thin slides and you
weren't able to focus on the specimen at high
power. (Tip: If you are using thin slides and
can't focus, rather than adjust the rack stop,
place a clear glass slide under the original slide
to raise it a bit higher).

Condenser Lens: The purpose of the

condenser lens is to focus the light onto the
specimen. Condenser lenses are most useful at
the highest powers (400x and above).
Microscopes with in-stage condenser lenses
render a sharper image than those with no lens
(at 400x). If your microscope has a maximum
power of 400x, you will get the maximum
benefit by using a condenser lenses rated at
0.65 NA or greater. 0.65 NA condenser lenses
may be mounted in the stage and work quite
well. A big advantage to a stage mounted lens
is that there is one less focusing item to deal
with. If you go to 1000x then you should have a
condenser lens with an N.A. of 1.25 or greater.
All of our 1000x microscopes use 1.25 Abbe
condenser lens systems. The Abbe condenser
lens can be moved up and down. It is set very
close to the slide at 1000x and moved further
away at the lower powers.

Diaphragm or Iris: Many microscopes have a

rotating disk under the stage. This diaphragm
has different sized holes and is used to vary
the intensity and size of the cone of light that is
projected upward into the slide. There is no set
rule regarding which setting to use for a
particular power. Rather, the setting is a
function of the transparency of the specimen,
the degree of contrast you desire and the
particular objective lens in use.

How to Focus Your Microscope: The proper

way to focus a microscope is to start with the
lowest power objective lens first and while
looking from the side, crank the lens down as
close to the specimen as possible without
touching it. Now, look through the eyepiece
lens and focus upward only until the image is
sharp. If you can't get it in focus, repeat the
process again. Once the image is sharp with
the low power lens, you should be able to
simply click in the next power lens and do
minor adjustments with the focus knob. If your
microscope has a fine focus adjustment,
turning it a bit should be all that's necessary.
Continue with subsequent objective lenses and
fine focus each time.

If you are unsure of the parts and functions of

your microscope, contact Microscope World.

This page has activities and free printouts for

labeling parts of the microscope.

What is the Difference

Between Compound
Microscope Parts And
Other Microscope Parts?
Compound microscopes and other types of
microscopes differ in their design and
functionality. Here are the key differences
between compound microscope parts and
those of other microscopes:

Objective Lenses: Compound microscopes

have multiple objective lenses mounted on a
rotating nosepiece, typically with
magnifications ranging from 4x to 100x or
higher. Other microscopes, such as dissecting
or stereo microscopes, usually have fixed
magnification lenses.

Eyepiece/Ocular: Compound microscopes

commonly have a pair of eyepieces that
provide binocular vision. Other microscopes
may have a single eyepiece or sometimes no
eyepieces at all.

Magnification: Compound microscopes are

designed for higher magnifications, typically
used for observing microscopic details. Other
microscopes may have lower magnification
capabilities, suitable for larger specimens or
samples.

Illumination: Compound microscopes often

have built-in illumination systems, such as a
substage light source, condenser, and
diaphragm, to provide transmitted light through
the specimen. Other microscopes, like
dissecting or fluorescence microscopes, may
utilize different lighting techniques or
illumination configurations.

Sample Size and Depth of Field: Compound

microscopes are designed to observe thin,
transparent specimens placed on glass slides.
They offer a narrow depth of field, allowing
clear focus on one plane at a time. Other
microscopes, like stereo or electron
microscopes, can accommodate larger
specimens or samples with more depth,
providing a wider depth of field.

Applications: Compound microscopes are

commonly used in fields such as biology,
medicine, and research, where detailed
examination of small structures is required.
Other microscopes, such as stereo
microscopes, are utilized for examining larger
objects or conducting dissections. Electron
microscopes are used for high-resolution
imaging of nanoscale structures.

It's important to note that the term "other

microscope parts" is quite broad and can
include various microscope types with different
designs and features. The above differences
are generalized and may not apply to every
microscope outside the category of compound
microscopes.

Related Articles:

Microscope Objective Lenses

Types of Microscopes

Infographic on the History of the Microscope

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