The Microscope and Its Incredible World

Year Published: 1987

Complete Record: With plenty of photomicrography, the film introduces viewers to many exotic and unusual specimens, demonstrating the range of the microscope. In addition, the film shows viewers proper techniques for using and maintaining a microscope and specimen slides. A microscope combines lenses to increase magnification far beyond that of a single lens. There are two kinds of lenses on a typical microscope - the eyepiece lens and the objective lens. The objective is made up of three different-powered lenses on a rotating nosepiece that can be combined one at a time with the eyepiece lens. A microscopic specimen has to be very thin so that light will pass through it. The light comes from beneath the microscope’s stage via a reflective mirror or a small electric bulb. Glass slides are used to hold specimens and they should be handled carefully. If specimens are not available, the film suggests that salt, simple pond water, or mouth scrapings make excellent specimens for learning how to use the microscope. Before placing a specimen slide under the microscope, the nosepiece should be rotated so that the shortest objective lens, the one with the lowest power, is directly above the stage hole. After placing the slide on the stage, one should use the coarse adjustment knob to bring the specimen into rough focus. Then, achieve sharp focus by turning to stronger objective lenses and /or using the fine adjustment knob. Be careful with the specimen slide whenever you lower or switch objective lenses. If available, a condenser concentrates light into a brighter beam and a diaphragm changes the contrast of an image. The film explains that a microscope, especially its lenses, is a delicate instrument. A microscope should be moved with great care and stored in a case or dustcover when not being used. Finally, the film presents a brief description of the microscope’s history. Aims to create a sense of wonder and discovery in users of microscopes, to instruct viewers on proper techniques for using and maintaining a microscope and specimen slides and to show how to prepare several specimens that are easily accessible to users.