Instructions : Explore the slide by dragging on the image and use the slider to zoom in or out. Select other slides using the drop down.
What are the different types of microscope?
The main types of microscope are: light microscope, compound microscope, confocal microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Light and compound microscopes are illuminated by visible light and can magnify between 200 and 1000 times respectively. Confocal microscopes use laser while electron microscopes use electron beams to form images. Electron microscopes can magnify up to 10 million times.
How does a light microscope work?
A simple light microscope has two convex lenses, the one near the slide called the objective lens, and the one through which we observe called the ocular lens or eyepiece. The first level of magnification occurs at the objective lens when light from a source (mirror or small bulb) enters it after passing through the slide sample. The ocular lens acts as a magnifying glass and magnifies the image formed by the objective lens even further. The total magnification can be found by multiplying the magnification power of the ocular lens by the power of the objective lens.
