5.4. Microscopio óptico EN

Binocular loupe

Use

For observing small objects, obtaining a magnified, three-dimensional image.

Description

Its structure is similar to that of the light microscope described in its card, but it differs from it in including two ocular lenses and only one objective lens.

The objective lense is a convergent lens which forms an intermediate image of the object. The image is inverted by the prisms and magnified by the ocular lenses, which are also convergent.

Functioning

The sample that we want to observe, placed on a rectangular glass lamina (slide), is held on the stage and is illuminated from the top by a spotlight. Using the lateral screws, the tube containing the lens is made to descend, until the objective is placed very close to  the sample.

Next, we look through the ocular lenses, and using the screws again, we make the tube ascend until we see the image completely focused.


History

Its development is parallel to that of the light microscope.

The first simple microscope, consisting of two converging lenses, was made in 1590 by Zacharias Janssen.

In 1665 Robert Hooke uses a compound microscope to study cuttings of cork and describes the small pores in the shape of cells as in a monastery, so he called them “cells”.