Functions of Microscope

Last Updated : 19 Jul, 2023

A Microscope is an apparatus that enhances the views of tiny substances. It gives the viewer a remarkably close-up picture of minuscule structures at a scale suitable for scrutiny and study. Invisible to the human sight microscopic items are magnified using the microscope. Additionally, a microscope allows us to see a variety of species, such as a cell, the structure of dust particles, etc. It comes from the Greek words “mikros,” which means small, and “skopein,” which means to see.

What is Microscope?

A microscope is a device used for analyzing objects that are undetectable to the naked eye, and microscopy is the study of how to make use of a microscope. In simple terms, microscopes are just tubes filled with lenses—curved pieces of glass that cause light rays to bend (or refract) as they pass through them. The simplest microscope, which commonly magnifies by 5–10 times, is a magnifying glass manufactured from a single convex lens.

Compound microscopes, which employ at least two lenses to provide a magnified image, are commonly used in educational settings and in professional laboratories. Each of these could consist of a variety of lenses. Most compound microscopes have magnification powers of 10, 20, 40, or 100 times, however, professional models have magnification powers over 1000, maybe even more. Scientists typically use electron microscopes at magnifications greater than this.

Types of Microscope

A microscope’s primary function is to magnify small things. The primary purpose of a microscope is to produce a resolution, not magnification. The oldest known microscopes were simple and compound, but electron and fluorescence microscopes have recently replaced them. The various kinds of microscopes include the following:

Light Microscope

These are simple microscopes that enlarge objects by using light. These microscopes’ lenses bend light so that items below them appear closer. The various kinds of light or optical microscopes are as follows:

Light-Microscopes

Compound Microscope

A compound microscope is a high-resolution microscope with two sets of lenses that produces a two-dimensional image of the sample. The use of many lenses in a microscope is referred to as compounding. It is believed that Dutch eyeglass manufacturer Zacharias Janssen created the compound microscope in the first half of 1590. There is no evidence to suggest that Zacharias Janssen utilized this microscope, though. One of the common microscopes that can be utilized for a variety of tasks is the compound microscope. The lens’s design magnifies the things from the intricate system.

Compound-Microscopes

Simple Microscope

A simple microscope is a magnifying glass with a pair of short-focal-length double convex lenses. The hand lens and reading lens are examples of this kind of device. When an object is kept close to the lens, its primary focus produces an image that is upright and larger than the original object. Since the produced image is not genuine, it cannot be projected on a screen.

Simple-Microscope

Stereo Microscope

An optical microscope that offers a three-dimensional picture of a specimen is called a stereo microscope. Other names for it include stereo zoom microscope and dissecting microscope. Separate objective lenses and eyepieces are included in dissecting microscope components. As a result, each eye has its own unique optical path. A three-dimensional image is created by the slightly varying angling views to the left and right eyes. It also goes by the name “dissecting microscope” since it provides a three-dimensional perspective.

Stereo-Microscope

Electron Microscope

These microscopes create images through the use of electron beams rather than light. There are two prominent electron microscopes:

Electron-Microscope

TEM: A very thin specimen is transmitted or passed through by an electron in a TEM.
SEM: By concentrating the electron beam, it scans across the specimen’s surface.

The development of technology has also led to the development of more effective microscopes, such as scanning probes and scanning acoustic microscopes.

Labelled Microscope Parts

A high-power microscope called a compound microscope has magnification capabilities that are higher than those of a low-power or dissection microscope. It is used to look at minute specimens like cell structures that are not visible at lower magnification levels. Both structural and optical elements are present in a compound microscope. The head, arm, and base are the three structural parts of a compound microscope.

Structural Components

Head: The optical components found in the upper portion of the microscope are found in the body or head.
Arm: The function is connecting and supporting the microscope’s base and head. The microscope is also transported using the arm.
Base: The base of the microscope holds the illuminator and serves as a support for the instrument.

Optical Components

Eyepiece: The upper part of the microscope contains the ocular, often known as the eyepiece, through which the observer views.
Eyepiece Tube: The eyepieces are held in place by the eyepiece tube, which is placed above the objective lens.
Objective Lenses: The primary optical lenses are the objective lenses. They have different magnifications ranging from 4x to 100x, and a single microscope often has 3 to 5 lenses.
Nosepiece: The objective lenses are kept in the nosepiece.
Adjustment Knobs: The adjustment knobs that are frequently used to focus the microscope are the fine and coarse focus knobs. The knobs are coaxial. This indicates that both the fine focus and coarse focus focusing systems are placed on the same axis. In order to adjust the lighting, there is also a condenser focus knob that raises or lowers the condenser.
Stage: The specimen that will be placed or presented is put up on the stage. When working on a specimen under increased magnification, a mechanical stage is frequently utilized. At this point, the specimen needs to be moved carefully.
Stage Clips: Slide placement is controlled by stage clips. The observer must manually move the slide in order to view various portions of the specimen. The mechanical stage has a separate knob that can be used to manipulate the slide.
Aperture: The aperture is a small opening in the stage through which transmitted light enters.
Illuminator: The light source, an illuminator, is usually found at the base of the microscope. The majority of light microscopes use low-voltage halogen lights and have base-mounted controls for both continuous and varied lighting.
Condenser: The light from the illuminator is normally collected and focused onto the specimen using a condenser. It is located below the stage and is frequently seen alongside an iris or a diaphragm.
Iris: The amount of light that reaches the specimen is controlled by either the iris or diaphragm. It can be found below the stage section but above the condenser.