Microscope+Activity


 * Microscope Activity**


 * Introduction**

In this introduction to the Microscope Lab Activity, we investigate the microscope in using compound microscopes to view certain cells up close and make observations of them. In this lab we not only learned how to successfully operate a compound light microscope, we also polished our skills in creating wet mount slides. For the three parts of the activity we created wet mount slides for the letter ‘e’ from a newspaper, cheek cells, pond scum, and potato cells. Aside, from wet mount slides, we also looked at prepared slides that contained specimens such as hydra, buttercup roots, and intestinal region earth worms. While looking through the microscope at these wet mount slides, we used the 4X, 10X, and 40X objective lenses, we took note of the field of view, objective lens strength, and the size of the cells where possible.


 * File**

In this lab, compared to my onion lab drawing, I felt like I succeed in improving my sketches of cells observed under microscopes at different magnifications. This time around, it included the magnification level, 3 different drawings for different magnification levels, and the field of view. In this lab, using the field of view, I was able to judge to size of the objects in the images and record it for some extra data. Also, I thought that I succeeded in making good wet mount slides as I was able to view very clear images under the microscope. In this experiment, I encountered difficulties sometimes while trying to look at slides under high magnification levels and found later while answering the conclusion questions that you have to let more light in to higher magnification because there is a smaller opening to look through. I gained a lot of new knowledge in this lab including practice in using microscopes, creating wet mount slides, images under a compound light microscope are reversed and inverted, and especially from the conclusion questions e.g. how stereo microscopes differ from compound light microscopes. If I were to do this experiment over again, I would want to learn some more about microscope use before using them (e.g. the facts about letting more light into the microscope on higher magnification) to help the lab go more smoothly. I would also like to look at the cells and specimens under even higher magnification (e.g. 1000X) and record my observations. Overall, I believe this was a very good experiment to do because it gave us a large amount of information on the use of microscopes and gave us good practice in using them as we looked at about 7 different specimens. Also, the conclusion questions were an additional source of good information to know.
 * Reflection**

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