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3.3: Using the Dissecting Microscope

  • Page ID
    29532
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    A dissecting microscope is a useful tool for viewing small features or fine details. Usually the range of magnification is around 10x to 50x. This type of microscope uses what is called incident lighting, where the light is shone onto the specimen (rather than through it, as you will see later).

    View a specimen from today’s lab under the dissecting microscope. Position your lighting so that it creates as few shadows as possible, then look through the ocular lenses. You will have two knobs on the side of the microscope. One of these is a coarse focus that determines your overall magnification. Use this knob to decide on how closely you’d like to view features of your specimen. You’ll notice that it gets quite blurry very quickly. Once you have the magnification you want, use the fine focus to resolve the image (de-blur it).

    Draw an interesting feature from your specimen below.

    Contributors and Attributions


    This page titled 3.3: Using the Dissecting Microscope is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Maria Morrow (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .

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