compound microscope is a type of microscope with more than one lens.
It consists of
two optics components known as an objective lens and an eyepiece or ocular lens. It
is also known as a biological microscope since it is used for laboratory purposes.
Compound Microscope Parts
The compound microscope is used to study the structural intricacies of cells, tissues,
or organ parts. A compound microscope’s components are divided into two
categories:
Non-optical components
Base: The base, often known as the foot, is either U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped. It
is a metallic framework that holds the entire microscope together.
Pillar: The pillar acts as a link between the base and the arm.
Arm: The arm, also known as the limb, is a metallic handle that connects the arm to
the inclined joint. The arm holds up the stage and the body tube.
Stage: It is a metallic platform with a hole in the middle that is attached to the bottom
half of the arm. Side clips or mechanical stage clips are used to secure the
microscopic slides to the stage for observation.
Body Tube: The body tube’s primary function is to retain the objective and ocular
lenses at the two ends. The end with the ocular lens is known as the head, while the
end with the objective lens is known as the nose piece. There is a channel for light
rays to move through the body tube under ray optics.
Drawing Tube: The drawtube is a tiny fixed tube at the top end of the body tube. The
drawtube’s primary function is to hold the ocular lens.
Pinion and Rack: The rack and pinion is either linked to the body tube or the stage to
bring the item into focus.
Screws for adjusting: These are two pairs of adjusting screws that are used for either
coarse or fine adjustment. Fine adjustments move the body tube or stage
exceedingly short distances, and coarse adjustments move the body tube and stage
higher. A crisp image may be obtained by careful tweaking.
Manual Stopper: A tiny screw on the rack and pinion is used to prevent the body
tube from slipping downhill. This protects the objective lens from damage.
Optical Components
Diaphragm: The diaphragm controls the quantity of light that falls on the item. It may
be found beneath the stage. The two types of diaphragms are the disc and the iris.
Condenser: It is found under the diaphragm. Light may be focused by changing the
condenser, which can be moved up or down.
Reflector: A reflector is a mirror mounted above the base. The mirror features a plain
mirror on one side and a concave mirror on the other. The plane mirror side is
utilized when the light is strong, while the concave mirror side is used when the light
is faint. The light on the object is directed via the diaphragm and condenser with the
aid of the reflector.
Objective lenses: These lenses are located above the nosepiece. The objective lens
is a compound lens that creates a true inverted picture of the image within the body
tube.
Ocular Lens: The ocular lens is often referred to as the eyepiece. Through these
lenses, the image of minute things may be seen.
Magnification of Compound Microscope
Compound microscopes have magnification ranging from 40x to 1000x. The
compound microscope has the following magnification power:
Where,
D = distance of distinct vision
L = length of the microscope tube
= the focal length of the objective lens
= the focal length of the eyepiece
Advantages and Disadvantages of Compound Microscope
Some important advantages and disadvantages of compound microscope are
discussed below:
Advantages of Compound Microscopes
High magnification: Compound microscopes can magnify objects up to 3,000 times
their original size, making them invaluable for studying minute details of cells,
microorganisms, and other small objects.
Wide field of view: Compound microscopes typically have a wider field of view than
simple microscopes, allowing for the observation of a larger area of the specimen at
once.
Versatility: Compound microscopes can be used to study a wide variety of
specimens, including living cells, bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic organisms.
Ability to view live specimens: Compound microscopes can be used to observe live
specimens, providing valuable insights into cellular processes and organism
behavior.
Relatively affordable: Compound microscopes are relatively affordable compared to
other types of microscopes, such as electron microscopes.
Disadvantages of Compound Microscopes
Limited resolution: Compound microscopes are limited in their ability to resolve fine
details, especially at higher magnifications.
Sample preparation: Many specimens require special preparation before they can be
viewed under a compound microscope.
Complexity: Compound microscopes are more complex to operate than simple
microscopes, requiring proper alignment and adjustment for optimal performance.
Limited depth of field: Compound microscopes have a limited depth of field, meaning
that only a thin layer of the specimen is in focus at any given time.
Potential damage to specimens: Delicate specimens can be damaged if not handled
carefully while preparing them for viewing under a compound microscope.
Uses of a Compound Microscope
Following are the uses of a compound microscope.
A compound microscope is very useful in pathology labs for identifying disorders.
In forensic laboratories, human cells are extracted and examined under a
microscope to discover and solve various crimes.
Compound microscopes can detect the presence or absence of minerals as well as
the presence or absence of metals.
Students in schools and colleges gain from using a microscope to undertake
academic experiments.
It helps in seeing a microbiological world of bacteria and viruses, which would
otherwise be undetectable to the naked eye.
A compound microscope is used to study plant cells and identify the bacteria that live
on them. As a result, scientists have found compound microscopes to be extremely
useful
Working Principle of Compound Microscope
The compound microscope works on the basis that the combination of lenses
increases the magnification of the sample. The material is initially observed in the
tube as the main picture, then in the eyepiece.
The specimen or item to be studied is often mounted on a clear glass slide and
placed on the stage between the condenser and objective lenses.
A condenser lens directs visible light from the base to the specimen.
The objective lens collects the light emitted by the specimen and magnifies it to
generate the main image within the body tube. The ocular lens magnifies this image
once more.
When a higher magnification is necessary, the nose piece is turned after low power
focusing to align the objective of a higher power (often 45X) with the lit portion of the
slide.
Very high magnification is occasionally necessary. Thus, an oil immersion objective
lens (often 100X) is used.
The image can be seen through the eyepiece.
Image Formed by Compound Microscope
The objective lens generates a true, inverted picture, but the eyepiece functions as a
basic magnifier that does not re-invert and generates a virtual image. As a result, the
picture is inverted and virtual overall.
