THE

MICROSCOPE
Jonna E. Agabe – Tacsay, RMT,MSMT
Our Lady of Fatima University
College of Medical Laboratory Science
Lesson Intended Learning Outcomes:
 At the end of the lesson, the student shall be
able to:
 Define microscopy and microscope
 Discuss the timeline of the history of
microscopy and microscope
 Identify the different types and parts of the
microscope
 Learn the proper care, transport and storage
of microscope
Brief History of Microscope
 Pre – 1600 – 1600 :
 1600 – 1700 :
 1800 - 1900 – present :
 Brief History of Microscope
 Pre – 1600 – 1600 :
◦1 Century AD (year 100)
st

Glass has been invented

Romans experimented on it by
creating different shapes of
clear glass
◦13 Century
th

Spectacle makers produced

lenses to be worn as “glasses”
 Brief History of Microscope
 Pre – 1600 – 1600 :
◦ 1590 - 1595
 Dutch spectacle makers invented the
first compound microscope
Hans Janssen
Zaccharias Janssen
◦ 1609
 Galileo Galillei
Invented the telescope
Described the principles of lenses and
light rays
Brief History of Microscope
1600 – 1700 :
Robert Hooke
“Micrographia”
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
“Father of Microbiology”
“Father of Microscopy”
 Brief History of Microscope
 17 Century – 18 century:
th th

◦ The microscope was in use for over

100 years before the next major
improvement was developed
◦ Using early microscope was difficult
(chromatic lenses)
◦ 1729
 Chester Moore
Developed the achromatic lenses
 Brief History of Microscope
 18th Century – 19th century – present :
◦ 1800: - 1900: Mechanical
improvements
◦ Present :
 August Kohler invented a microscope
that allows specimens to be photographed
 Ernst Leitz invented microscope that
allows different magnifications using one
microscope by putting multiple lenses on a
movable turret at the end of the lens tube
MICROSCOPY
 Thetechnical field of using
microscopes to view objects
and areas of object that
cannot be seen with the naked
eye
 MICROSCOPY
 SIMPLE  COMPOUND
MICROSCOPE MICROSCOPE
 defined as a microscope a microscope that contains
containing only one more than one magnifying
magnifying lens. lens
3 MAJOR PARTS OF THE
COMPOUND MICROSCOPE:
 Mechanical parts
 Magnifying parts
 Illuminating parts
 MECHANICAL PARTS
 Used to support and adjust the parts
◦ Base
 - the support upon which the instrument rests
◦ Arm
 - a C – shaped upright structure, hinged to the base, that
supports the microscope
◦ Stage
 - the horizontal plate upon which the specimen rests
◦ Body tube
 - it houses the objective and focus lenses
◦ Coarse and Fine adjustments
 -brings the lenses into alignment
 MAGNIFYING PARTS
 Used to enlarge the specimen
◦ Ocular / Eyepiece
 - set of lenses found on top of the body tube which
functions to further magnify the image produced by the
objective lenses
 - magnification : 5x – 15x
◦ Objectives
 - metal cylinders attached below the nosepiece and
contains especially ground and polished lenses
 4 types of objectives:
 Scanner (Red) = magnification: 4x
 Low power objective ( Yellow) = magnification: 10x
 High power objective ( Blue ) = magnification: 40x
 Oil Immersion objective ( White ) = magnification: 100x
 ILLUMINATING PARTS
 Used to provide light
◦ Mirror
 - reflect light rays from the light source to object
 - 2 sides:
 Concave mirror
 Plane mirror
 Concave mirror
 - Used for near light source
 Plane mirror
 - Used for distant source of lighted day light
◦ Electric lamp (Tungsten)
 A built – in illuminator that may be used if sunlight is not preferred
◦ Condenser
 Focuses the light onto specimen
◦ Diaphragm
 Used to regulate the amount of light passing into the condenser
◦ Filter
 Used for increasing contrast; blocking ambient light; removing harmful
ultraviolet or infrared light; selectively transmitting only wanted
wavelengths
 CHARACTERISTIC OF A
MICROSCOPE
 Parcentral
◦ The condition when a specimen is centered in the
field of view under one objective, the specimen
will be partially centered after switching to the
next objective
 Parfocal
◦ Refers to the ability to change from one objective
lens to another and still have the specimen in
focus without having to focus more than a little
 MICROSCOPY
 2 General Categories of Microscopy:
◦ Light Microscopy
 Bright – field microscopy
 Fluorescence microscopy
 Phase – contrast microscopy
 Confocal microscopy
◦ Electron Microscopy
 Scanning electron microscopy
 Transmission electron microscopy
 LIGHT MICROSCOPY
 BRIGHT – FIELD MICROSCOPY
◦ The method most commonly used both students and
pathologists
◦ Uses ordinary light and the colors are imparted by the
tissue staining
◦ Used to observe morphology of microorganisms such as
bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and algae in living (unstained)
and non-living (stained) state
◦ Cannot observe microbes less than 0.2 um in diameter
or thickness, such as spirochetes and viruses
 LIGHT MICROSCOPY
 DARKFIELD MICROSCOPE
◦ Unstained organisms are observed
against a dark background
◦ Useful for examining thin spirochetes
◦ Slightly more difficult to operate than
brightfield
 LIGHT MICROSCOPY
 FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY
◦ Uses UV light (fluorescent molecules = +:visible)
◦ Allowing localization of fluorescent probes
which can be more specific than routine
stains
◦ Used to detect microbes in cells, tissues,
and clinical specimens
 LIGHT MICROSCOPY
 PHASE - CONTRAST MICROSCOPY
◦ Uses the difference in refractive index of
various natural cell and tissue components to
produce an image without staining
◦ Allowing observation of unstained living cells
 ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
 TRANSMISSION ELECTRON
MICROSCOPY (TEM)
◦ Specimen is viewed on a screen
◦ Excellent resolution
◦ Allows examination of cellular and viral
ultrastructure
◦ Specimen is non-living
◦ Reveals internal features of thin specimens
 ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
 TRANSMISSION ELECTRON
MICROSCOPY (TEM)
 ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
 SCANNING ELECTRON
MICROSCOPY
◦ Provides a high – resolution view of the surfaces
of cells, tissues, and organs
◦ Specimen is viewed on a screen
◦ Gives the illusion of depth (three-dimensions)
◦ Specimen is non-living
◦ Resolution is less than that of TEM
 ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
 SCANNING ELECTRON
MICROSCOPY
 Care of Microscope
 The microscope paper should be cleaned with
lens paper before and after each use
 Other material such as laboratory tissue may
scratch the lenses
 It is especially important that lenses never be
left with oil on them
 Transporting the Microscope
 A microscope should be left in
a permanent position on a
study laboratory table in an
area where it will not get
jammed.
 The microscope should be
placed gently on table tops, to
avoid jarring
Transporting the Microscope
 Ifthe microscope must
be moved, it should be
held securely with one
hand supporting the
base and the other
hand holding the arm.
 Storage of Microscope
 When the microscope is not being used, it should be
left with the low power objective in position
 The stage should be centred so that it does not
project from either side of the microscope
 The microscope should be stored in a plastic dust
cover.
 REMINDERS
 Review for the Midterm Examination
◦ Wait for the announcement of schedule
 Pointers – ALL TOPICS COVERED IN
MIDTERMS
 Check CANVAS or GOOGLE
CLASSROOM (from time to time ) for
additional instructions and/or
announcements