The Anatomy of the Microscope

Abstract

Most people can very easily recognise a traditional upright microscope. They can also quite easily tell you where to put the sample, how to focus it, and where to look. Now ask them to do the same on an inverted microscope. Or ask them why that upright microscope has a round stage? Microscopes are quite diverse, and different samples require different microscopes. The general anatomy and parts are the same, though.

In this chapter, we shall look at the configuration of the traditional upright microscope, the inverted microscope, the stereomicroscope, and the petrological microscope. Each part of the microscope will then be explained over the next several chapters.

The key message in this chapter is to note that the different microscopes are just slight variations of each other. Even high-end systems will have the same overall anatomy.

The simplest pocket microscope...will reveal wonders a thousand times more thrilling than anything which Alice saw behind the looking-glass

David Fairchild