Lab 2: Structure and Types of Microscopes
Description
In this interactive lab, students explore the structure and function of the microscope, the essential tool that opened up the microscopic world to biological science. The module begins by placing students on an interactive scale of life, moving from the unaided eye down to viruses, proteins, and atoms, to build intuition for when a light microscope or an electron microscope is needed. From there, students learn how to properly handle and care for a microscope, identify each of its parts through a hands-on labeling activity, and calculate magnification using a live objective-and-eyepiece calculator. The centerpiece of the lab is a virtual microscope simulator, where students drag real sample types onto the stage, rotate the objective lens, and adjust focus and light to observe onion skin, cheek cells, yeast, bacteria, blood smears, and leaf tissue at different magnifications, closely mirroring the experience of using a real compound microscope.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lab, students will be able to identify the major parts of a light microscope and describe the function of each, apply proper handling and care procedures to protect the instrument's lenses and mechanics, and calculate total magnification from objective and eyepiece values. Students will also be able to distinguish between simple and compound microscopes, monocular and binocular configurations, and light versus electron microscopy, and explain the key operating differences between transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, students will be able to recognize and differentiate common biological specimens, such as plant cells, animal cells, yeast, bacteria, and blood cells, based on their appearance under the microscope at varying magnifications.