The Compound Light Microscope (CE)

The microscope is a common tool used daily by thousands of workers in many different fields of study. It is a routine instrument in many laboratories and a fundamental tool in medicine, zoology, botany, microbiology, entomology and numerous other areas. This course is intended for those who use a microscope in a medical laboratory, or for any microscopist in a biology laboratory, a microanatomy or microbiology course. In each of these situations, the microscope is a "tool" … a tool which, when used correctly, will provide vast quantities of information. If however, the microscope is used incorrectly or is not properly adjusted, it will be a constant source of frustration, disillusionment, and inaccuracy. The emphasis of the material is on microscopy that is encountered routinely in diagnostic or clinical laboratories. The compound light microscope is covered in detail.

Goal and Objectives

Goal

This course was designed to provide the participant with a fundamental understanding of the compound light microscope that is used routinely in the diagnostic laboratory, and to explain the essential theories of this form of microscopy. Most types of instrumentation in the medical laboratory are the subject of extensive quality assurance procedures to validate the results that they produce. The only form of QA that may be applied to the microscope and to many microscopic examinations is the competence of the user.

Objectives

On completion of this course of study, the participant should be able to:

1. describe the basic characteristics of light rays and wave formation, and the effects of low and high density media on light rays
2. classify lens by their shape and predict their effect on light rays
3. describe the causes of, effects of, and cures for, common optical aberrations
4. define numerical aperture, empty magnification, resolution, resolving power, refraction, reflection, and diffraction
5. describe the function and location of the components of a compound microscope and their role in the formation of the image: light source, condenser, objectives, oculars
6. define objective magnification power, objective numerical aperture, mechanical and optical tube length
7. explain the terms: achromat, fluorite, apochromat, plan-achromat, plan-apochromat
8. describe the uses, advantages and disadvantages of dry and immersion objectives
9. calculate overall magnification of a compound light microscope