Monday, January 12, 2015

What is a Compound Microscope?

A compound microscope is another name for a high power or biological microscope. A compound microscope will typically have magnifications of 40x, 100x, 400x and sometimes 1000x. A microscope advertising magnification above 1000x is simply providing empty magnification, and images above 1000x will not be clear. Blood cells, protozoans and bacteria can all be viewed at 400x magnification and it is a common misconception that more magnification is better.

Compound microscope high power objectives.
Compound Microscope High Power Objective Lenses

Students typically use either a compound microscope in biology class, or a stereo dissecting microscope. A stereo dissecting microscope provides lower magnification (typically 10x - 40x) and is used to view anything you might hold in the palm of your hand such as coins, flowers, insects, or a frog. A compound microscope requires the use of slides and cover slips for viewing samples the naked eye can not see such as bacteria or cells.

Stereo dissecting microscope 10x-40x
Stereo Dissecting Microscope

Compound microscope with high magnification
Compound Microscope