Advertisement
3
The Basic Equipment
Your new microscope set contains almost
all of the essential things to get started
immediately. How to use them will be
explained either later on or in the chapter
in which the part or tool is used for the
first time. In addition, there are several
things that are useful when using a micro-
scope or are used for the experiments that
we suggest in these instructions. There is an
overview of these below.
The most important elements of your microscope's basic equipment
are the slides and cover slips. The procedure for preparing a slide is
explained in Chapter 4. Also, you can label particularly successful prepared
slides using the enclosed stickers. In addition to the "blank" slides for your own
research, you will find a box with four already finished preparations, so-called
prepared slides. They are particularly suited to the very first steps (Chapter 2) and
are explained in more detail in other chapters — the oral smear in Chapter 4, the
pollen and salt crystals in Chapter 8, and the paramecia in Chapter 7. Last but not
least, another special slide is included in the set. It has a small recess (a concave
trough) in the middle. You might use this slide when you want to look at larger
objects under the microscope — for example, amphipoda from a pond. In any
case, it will be of great help to you in the experiments described in Chapter 7.
The use of the tweezers surely needs no special explanation. How they are used
in conjunction with the microscope as well as how the dissecting needle is used is
explained in the respective experiments.
The dropper pipette is very helpful when working with water and other liquids.
Perhaps you have already had some practice working with one previously. The
illustration demonstrates how it's done: When you squeeze the top part of the pi-
pette, some air escapes below. Dip the pipette into water (that you have prepared
in a beaker, for example) and loosen the pressure between your fingers. The water
will rise up in the pipette. Now you can release the water in the pipette drop by
drop by slightly reducing the pressure and allow it to drip, for example, onto a
Pipette, dissecting needle, and tweezers from your microscope set
The boxes with the slides and cover slips
Increased
pressure
Letting
loose
Slight
pressure
How to use the pipette.
11
Advertisement
