binocular microscope

Its two eyepieces allow both eyes to be fully applied; this provides a degree of depth to the image and prevents eyestrain.

coarse adjustment knob

Medium-precision focusing device for adjusting the distance between the objective and the object under study.

body tube

Metal casing that houses the microscope’s two eyepieces and through which light rays pass.

revolving nosepiece

Rotating plate to which objectives of different powers are fixed to allow them to be used in succession during a study.

arm

Vertical part of the microscope that supports the components (draw tube, stage) and contains the focusing mechanisms.

mechanical stage

Adjustable part with two guiding screws that moves an object from right to left and from front to back on the stage.

stage

Metal plate with an opening in the middle; the glass slide and the components keeping it in place are placed on it.

fine adjustment knob

High-precision focusing device for adjusting the distance between the objective and the object under study.

mechanical stage control

Device for raising and lowering the mechanical stage.

condenser height adjustment

Screw for raising and lowering the condenser.

condenser

Optical system that usually has two lenses to concentrate the light emitted from the lamp onto the object under study.

lamp

Electric device that produces a light beam to illuminate the object under study.

base

Support that stabilizes the microscope.

condenser adjustment knob

Screw that centers the condenser’s light beam in the field of vision by moving it along a horizontal plane.

field lens adjustment

Device with a variable-diameter opening that adjusts the amount of light illuminating the object.

glass slide

Fine glass plate on which the object to be studied is placed.

stage clip

Springlike metal blade that keeps the glass slide on the stage.

objective

Lens system that captures the light from the observed object and makes it converge to form an enlarged inverted image.

limb top

Upper part of the arm that supports the revolving nosepiece.

eyepiece

System of lenses that acts as a magnifier; the eye looks through it to see an enlarged image of the image produced by the objective.

draw tube

One of two cylindrical tubes that house the eyepieces; it is often made up of two converging lenses.