Explanation:

Eyepiece Lens: the lens at the top that you look through. They are usually 10X or 15X power.

Tube: Connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses

Arm: Supports the tube and connects it to the base. It is used along with the base to carry the microscope

Base: The bottom of the microscope, used for support

Illuminator: A steady light source (110 volts) used in place of a mirror.

Stage: The flat platform where you place your slides. Stage clips hold the slides in place.

Revolving Nosepiece or Turret: This is the part that holds two or more objective lenses and can be rotated to easily change power.

Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope. They almost always consist of

4X, 10X, 40X and 100X powers. When coupled with a 10X (most common) eyepiece lens, we get total magnifications of 40X (4X times 10X), 100X , 400X and 1000X. The shortest lens is the lowest power, the longest one is the lens with the greatest power. The high power objective lenses are retractable (i.e. 40XR). This means that if they hit a slide, the end of the lens will push in (spring loaded) thereby protecting the lens and the slide.

Rack Stop: This is an adjustment that determines how close the objective lens can get to the slide. It is set at the factory and keeps students from cranking the high power objective lens down into the slide and breaking things.

Diaphragm or Iris: Many microscopes have a rotating disk under the stage. This diaphragm has different sized holes and is used to vary the intensity and size of the cone of light that is projected upward into the slide. There is no set rule regarding which setting to use for a particular power. Rather, the setting is a function of the transparency of the specimen, the degree of contrast you desire and the particular objective lens in use.

Coarse adjustment: This is used to focus the microscope. It is always used first, and it is used only with the low power objective.

Fine adjustment: This is used to focus the microscope. It is used with the high­ power objective to bring the specimen into better focus.

1.) Eyepiece- The eyepiece, or ocular, magnifies the primary image produced by the objective; the eye can then use the full resolution capability of the objective. The microscope produces a virtual image of the specimen at the point of most distinct vision, generally 250 mm (10 in.) from the eye.

2.) Stage- The stage of a microscope is the aluminum or iron platform where the specimen, usually on a glass slide, is raised or lowered for observation under the microscope. Microscope stages will often include stage clips that will hold the slide in place while the stage is being adjusted up and down or side to side.

3.) Mirror- Mirrors in the microscope's interior are used to focus light to make the microscope more compact, or to make it easier to make the microscope binocular. On low-cost compound microscopes, the mirror is used to focus light from underneath the slide through the microscope's objective lens.

4.) Diaphragm- The microscope diaphragm, also known as the iris diaphragm, controls the amount and shape of the light that travels through the condenser lens and eventually passes through the specimen by expanding and contracting the diaphragm blades that resemble the iris of an eye.

5.) Body tube- The microscope body tube separates the objective and the eyepiece and assures continuous alignment of the optics. It is a standardized length, anthropometrically related to the distance between the height of a bench or tabletop (on which the microscope stands) and the position of the seated observer's.

6.) Fine adjustment knob- This knob is inside the coarse adjustment knob and is used to bring the specimen into sharp focus under low power and is used for all focusing when using high power lenses. Light Source - The light source in your microscope is a lamp that you turn on and off using a switch.

7.) Revolving nosepiece- This is the part that holds two or more objective lenses and can be rotated to easily change power. Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope. They almost always consist of 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X powers.

8.) Coarse adjustment knob- A rapid control which allows for quick focusing by moving the objective lens or stage up and down. It is used for initial focusing. ... FINE ADJUSTMENT KNOB — A slow but precise control used to fine focus the image when viewing at the higher magnifications.

9.) Inclination joint- Where the microscope arm connects to the microscope base, there may be a pin. If so, you can place one hand on the base and with the other hand grab the arm and rotate it back. It will tilt your microscope back for more comfortable viewing.

10.) High power objective- The high-powered objective lens (also called “high dry” lens) is ideal for observing fine details within a specimen sample. The total magnification of a high-power objective lens combined with a 10x eyepiece is equal to 400x magnification, giving you a very detailed picture of the specimen in your slide.