A] BASIC FUNCTIONS

• Magnification - the increase in the apparent size of an object
• Resolving power (resolution) - a measure of the clarity of an image; it is the ability of an optical instrument to show two objects as separate
• Compound microscope - a type of microscope that magnifies objects by using transmitted light
• Dissecting microscope - a type of microscope that magnifies objects by using reflected light; used to look at opaque objects
• Transmitted light - light that goes through an object
• Reflected light - light that bounces off an object
• Opaque objects - objects that light cannot pass through
• Binocular - having two eyepieces
• Cover slip - thin piece of glass used to cover the specimen of interest when making a slide
• Lens paper - the special type of paper used to clean delicate optical lenses
• Interpupillary distance - the distance between a person's eyes
• Depth of field - refers to the thickness of a specimen that is all-in-focus at a particular magnification when using a microscope

B] THE DISSECTING MICROSCOPE

• Be able to identify dissecting and compound microscopes.
• You would use a dissecting microscope rather than a compound microscope to view opaque objects or objects that light cannot pass through
• Dissecting microscopes have much lower total magnification than compound microscopes
• Dissecting microscopes do not invert the image of the item under view

C] THE COMPOUND MICROSCOPE

• Be able to recognize and name the following parts of the microscope: objective lenses, ocular lenses (= eyepieces), mechanical stage (= stage + specimen holder + X & Y-axis knobs), iris diaphragm (= aperture iris diaphragm knob), coarse focus knob, fine focus knob, condenser, pointer (in one of the eyepieces), scanning lens, low power lens, high power lens, oil immersion lens. 
• Be able to explain & visualize that compound microscopes invert the image of a specimen. (e.g. what does the letter “f” look like under the compound scope?)
• The relationship between “depth of field” and magnification is an inverse relationship (as one increases the other decreases)
• Know the basic procedures of using the microscope (e.g. only use coarse focus with scanning objective lens; put microscopes away with scanning lens in place & stage lowered; only use lens paper to clean the lenses; etc.)