BIOL 325 Unit 2 Microscopes (Athabasca University)

Brings direct and reflected or diffracted light rays together (in phase) to form an image of the specimen on the ocular lens. It allows the detailed observation of living organisms.

• darkfield microscope

• fluorescence microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

Specimens are first stained with fluorochromes and then viewed through a compound microscope by using an ultraviolet light source.

• fluorescence microscope

• compound light microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

Has a series of lenses and uses visible light as its source of illumination

• differential interference contrast microscope

• fluorescence microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• compound light microscope

Provides a colored, three-dimensional image of living cells.

• phase-contrast microscope

• compound light microscope

• fluorescence microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

Shows a light silhouette of an organism against a dark background. It is most useful for detecting the presence of extremely small organisms.

• compound light microscope

• darkfield microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

Best microscope for: unstained live tissue when it is desirable to see some intracellular detail

• compound light microscope

• darkfield microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

Best microscope for: unstained live cells in which intracellular structures are shown in color

• Electron microscope

• compound light microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

Best microscope for: unstained bacterial cells: the cells are small, and no detail is needed

• darkfield microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

• electron microscope

• compound light microscope

Best microscope for: intracellular detail of a cell that is 1 μm long

• phase-contrast microscope

• compound light microscope

• differential interference contrast microscope

• Electron microscope

Best microscope for: a sample that emits light when illuminated with ultraviolet light

• differential interference contrast microscope

• phase-contrast microscope

• compound light microscope

• fluorescence microscope