Microscope glossary of terms and definitions

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Microscope Glossary

Abbe Condenser. An advanced microscope lighting system which uses a lens under the stage. Consists of an adjustable iris to control the diameter of the light prior to entering the lens. Usually found on more advanced microscopes.

Achromatic lens. An optical lens designed and coated to correct for the tendency of light to separate into colors when passing through glass, called chromatic aberration.

Articulated arm: A type of stand that holds a microscope body. The stand clamps to a table and offers a variety of motion in three dimensions.

Binocular microscope. A compound microscope with two eyepieces viewing down a single optical channel and objective lens. This is different than a stereo microscope, which has a separate optical channel for each eye.

Brightfield illumination. Lighting that shines through a transparent specimen which appears dark against a bright background. Also called transmitted light illumination. Opposite of darkfield illumination.

C-mount. Common microscope camera adapter used with different types of video cameras. The adapter usually fits on the trinocular port of the microscope.

Coarse focus. The rough focus knob on the microscope. You use it to move the objective lenses toward or away from the specimen.

Coaxial controls. A configuration where one focus knob is centered on top of another. The larger coarse focus knob is generally below the fine focus knob.

Compound microscope. A generic term that describes virtually all modern microscopes. Also synonymous with high-power microscopes that features multiple lenses of varying magnifications used to present a two-dimensional image.

Condenser lens. A lens mounted in or below the stage whose purpose is to focus or condense the light onto the specimen. Condenser lenses are not used on low-power (stereo) microscopes.

Contrast plate. An opaque plate placed on the stage of a low-power microscope. One side is white while the other side is black.

Cover slip. A thin piece of glass or plastic placed over the specimen on a microscope slide. Assists with single-plane focusing.