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The Parts of a Compound Binocular Light Microscope

A compound binocular light microscope has various parts that carry out specific functions. These parts work together to create a magnified image of a sample. To obtain an image that is sharply focused, it is important to understand the different components of the microscope and how they work together. With a working knowledge of the microscope, it will be easy to obtain the desired image.

  1. Tube, Arm and Base

    • The tube is located toward the top of the microscope and connects the eyepieces to the nosepiece. The base is the bottom of the microscope. It keeps the microscope stable and contacts the solid surface that the microscope rests on. The arm connects the base and the tube. The base and arm are important in providing support and are used to transport the microscope from one location to another.

    Lenses on a Compound Microscope

    • In a compound binocular light microscope, lenses are located in the eyepieces and on the nosepiece. The lenses in the eyepieces usually provide a magnification of 10x. On the nosepiece, there are different objective lenses that can be rotated into place depending on the desired magnification. A scanning lens is usually 4x and is used to initially focus the specimen. Low-power and high-power lenses provide greater degrees of magnification.

    Light Sources

    • Most compound binocular light microscopes are equipped with an illuminator. The illuminator is simply a light source that is attached to the base and shines light onto the specimen. If there is not an illuminator, a mirror is used to reflect light onto the specimen from an external light source. To regulate the amount of light that passes through a sample, there is a diaphragm or iris that can be adjusted.

    Stage and Nosepiece

    • The microscope stage holds the slide while the specimen is being examined. There is a hole in the stage where light passes through the sample. Slide clips are used to hold the slide in place. The nosepiece of the microscope rotates, which allows the proper objective lens to be put into place. The objective lens that is placed over the hole in the stage is used to view the sample.

    Focusing a Compound Microscope

    • The compound binocular light microscope has two focus adjustment knobs. The coarse focus knob is used to initially focus the specimen by adjusting the height of the stage in large increments. The fine focus knob is used after the coarse focus knob. It sharply focuses the sample by adjusting the height of the stage in small increments. When using the high-power objective lens, only use the fine focus adjustment knob to prevent breaking the slide.

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