The Microscope The Basics An object is placed under the lower of two lenses, called the objective lens, it is viewed through the eyepiece lens The Compound Microscope Arm- supports the microscope, ALWAYS CARRY WITH ONE HAND ON ARM AND ONE HAND UNDER THE BASE Stage- place you put specimen on, generally on a glass slide and placed under the clips Body tube- where the objective and eyepiece lens is located Coarse adjustment- raises and lowers the stage, DO NOT use if you are on a high magnification The Compound Microscope Fine Adjustment- smaller knob for focusing Illuminator- transmitted illumination when light passes up from the condenser and through the specimen. Condenser- lens system under the microscope stage to collect light and focus them on the specimen Objective lens- the lenses for magnification Eyepiece or ocular lens- lens closest to eye, can be monocular or binocular The Compound Microscope Always focus your specimen on the lowest magnification first When you increase a compound microscopes magnification, its field of view decreases Field of view- area of a specimen seen The Comparison Microscope Two compound microscopes in one unit Very useful for looking at two different things for comparison When you look into the comparison microscope you see both specimens at the same time Modern firearms examination began with the first comparison microscopes The Stereoscopic Microscope Two monocular compound microscopes properly spaced and aligned to present a 3-D image of a specimen to the viewer Ideal for microscopic examination of big, bulky items