Lab Exercise 1
Lab Exercise 1
Lab Exercise 1
THE MICROSCOPE
A. USING THE MICROSCOPE
Skill in using the microscope is necessary for many of the laboratory exercises. Fortunately, learning to
use the microscope is both easy and fun. Before beginning, acquaint yourself with these basic rules:
o Always carry the microscope with two hands: one under the base and the other grasping the
arm. Carry it in an upright position.
o Carefully unwind the lamp cord. Avoid damaging the parts around which it is coiled. Plug the
cord into an outlet in a safe manner.
o Make sure the stage and objective are at their farthest distance apart and the lowest-power
objective is in position. Start each new observation at low power.
You will often use prepared slides of human and other tissues in this course. However, you may
occasionally make your own specimens.
A wet-mount slide is a slide on which a wet specimen is placed, then covered with a cover slip.
Stains are used to make a specimen, or some of its parts, more visible. Some require special
techniques, but most stains can simply be added to the specimen and viewed.
PROCEDURE:
1. Obtain some skin cells by scrapping the inner surface of your cheek with a clean, flat toothpick.
2. Wipe the scrapings on a clean slide and put a small drop of methylene blue stain directly on the
smear.
3. Place one edge of a coverslip on the slide next to the specimen, let it touch the drop of liquid, then
let it drop slowly on the specimen. This method avoids forming air bubbles.
4. Absorb any excess fluid around the edges of the coverslip with the edge of a paper wipe.
5. Locate some cells with the low-power objective, shift to high power, and sketch your observations
in the lab report.
LAB REPORT 1
NAME: ________________________________________________________________________________
THE MICROSCOPE
FILL IN
1. A(n) __________________ is a glass or plastic rectangle on which specimens are mounted.
2. A(n) __________________ is at the base of the body tube, allowing section of different objectives
5. If the stage has a bracket that moves the slide, it is called a(n) _____________________ stage.
6. The _____________________ allows the user to limit the amount of light from a steady light source.