Parts of Compound Microscope
Mechanical Parts
- Draw tube — houses the ocular lens. It is fitted inside the upper end of the body tube.
- Adjustment knobs — bring the objects into focus so that the view of the specimen appears sharp and clear. There are two adjustment knobs: coarse and fine. The coarse adjustment knob is used to focus the specimen at 10× (LPO) while the fine adjustment knob is used to focus the specimen at 40× or 60× (HPO). The specimen is initially focused at lower magnification.
- Revolving nosepiece — supports the objectives and enables them to be positioned in the desired place.
- Dust shield — protects the objectives from dust; located on the top part of the revolving nosepiece.
- Base — anchors the microscope firmly on the table.
- Pillar — supports the upper parts of the microscope.
- Inclination joint — allows the upper part of the microscope to be bent (could be absent for bent ones).
- Lever — regulates the iris diaphragm beneath the condenser.
