A light microscope is also called an optical microscope. It uses a visual lighting system that enables you to examine an object. It allows you to observe and see objects which are impossible to see with the naked eye. You can observe, examine and evaluate both live and dead objects.
There are so many technical details added to improve the resolution, quality of image, and contrast. Otherwise, it was one of the simplest and easiest machines to operate. All you need to do is place the object, your sample on the stage, and there are two eyepieces; you can use one or two to observe the object as it fits in the scenario.
Sometimes the type of the object, and sometimes it is the type of device that decides whether you should use one or two eyepieces. I wrote this article to help you with such questions and overcome all the ambiguities tangent with these questions. To know the secrets behind it, let’s come down.
Table of Content:
- 6 Types of Light Microscope
- 6 Parts of Light Microscope
- 8 Benefits of Light Microscope
- Differentiate Between Scope Vs Simple Microscope Vs Light Microscope
6 Types of Light Microscope
The most popular light microscopes are six, and I didn’t leave a single one behind. To know the light Microscope in a full-fledged way, you need to lend your few minutes to the words down. These days there are multiple designs and new features are coming, and each new Microscope proves its space was worth listing. So, let’s grab the first from the list below.
1) Dark Field Microscope
There are dark field and bright field microscopes available in the market, and each one has distinct sets of features and specs. The dark field light microscope has the edge over a bright-field microscope of black ground. It gets the images white, but the background remains black.
It is a better equation for having a more focused and clear image and all the effects of that object on the Microscope stage. It doesn’t allow the light to pass through the sample directly, but it reflects it. The dark background helps you see the minute and smallest details that a bright-field microscope cannot show you in a normal examination course.
It illuminates the uncolored objects and makes them clearer beyond your expectations. It comes with a special condenser to scatter the light, and at a specific angle, the specimen reflects the light, magnifying the image with a dark and white combo.
2) Confocal Microscope
The confocal Microscope is the best optical device that uses laser light, and images are taken with a digital camera built in the device. It increases the resolution and contrast of images. It produces a point of source of light and opposes the focus light. This technique helps the device to take your eyes deeper in tissue examination.
It has a powerful magnification combination and can go up to 1000x. It means you get a 1000 times bigger image size than its actual and factual size on the stage. You may select magnification that suits your vision that clears the image. And it stands on the type of object, whether it is living or dead, a bit bigger or too small.
The Fluorescence microscope was lacking in dealing with high-intensity UV light, and it was the biggest cause of blurring the images. This Confocal Light microscope has come up with the solution to this terrible problem. It furnishes a pinhole function that helps one focal plane focus on the digital camera. Then the laser beam helps the Microscope generate 3D and 2D images for ultimate clarity.
3) Differential Interference Contrast Microscope
The differential interference contrast light microscope creates contrast in uncolored samples. These samples have no color or stain that helps them see clearly. So, these differential interference contrast microscopes are super devices to get those transparent objects stained. The quality of resolution and clarity of this Microscope is unbeatable.
It creates 3D effects for images using the DIC technique, and it is the ideal image creation tool for your eyes, especially in electrophysiology observations. It allows you to examine living cells and other transparent objects with the max precision and accuracy.
Its color scheme is very vibrant. The three basic tools for excellent microscopes are objective lens, contrast, and magnification. And it submits all these three generously.
4) Phase Contrast Microscope
The phase-contrast Microscope is an ideal device to examine living objects, and it doesn’t require killing or staining that object. If you need to observe biological processes, it is an ideal device to go with. The phase-contrast light Microscope modifies the phase shifts in light.
When the light passes through the objects, it converts images and increases the contrast and resolution. And the images appear to be seen through the eyepiece. It enables you to observe cells and cell structure in depth.
The objects that you cannot see with the help of a simple light microscope can see those with this phase-contrast Microscope. There are various other types including compound microscope, light microscope, and more. You can consider reading Compound Microscope to enhance your knowledge about microscopes.
5) Fluorescence Microscope
The fluorescence light microscope uses a mercury arch lamp to replace UV light. It allows you to observe and analyze live cells and the structures of cells, tissues, and other living objects. It doesn’t take long hours and provides very fast and accurate results.
This Microscope comes with multiple filters. It allows you to observe a sample when a molecule absorbs a high frequency of light. On the other hand, it emits a very low frequency of light, and it uses reflected light to examine a sample.
In this light Microscope, multiple light sources travel through various components, and it can envision and distinguish multiple fluorescent molecules. It can provide a 3D image that gives you a detailed view of the sample. The 3D image presents a picture of the sample very near to existence, and it takes you closer to the real happenings in cells and tissues.
6) Polarized Microscope
It uses polarized light that helps the Microscope to uncover the secrets in an object. You can observe and examine a range of materials with the help of polarized light microscopes, such as teeth, striated muscles, amyloid, Urine crystals, Bone, gout crystals, etc.
The polarized light microscope is used to observe the specimen’s optical detailing, including absorption and refraction. It converts the unpo larized light into polarized light. In a specific direction, it absorbs the vibrational light of minerals to get the image that you can see through the body tube to the eyepiece.
If you want a light microscope for fieldwork and your usage is in the field outdoors, you are good to go for this light Microscope because polarized light microscopes are the best for outdoor observations. Moreover, it adds value to images’ clarity, visions, and contrast.
This Microscope also helps you avoid unwanted and unnecessary bright glare and reflection to save your eyes from harmful rays. So, it is how a polarized light microscope works.
6 Parts of a Light Microscope
This section will talk about the light microscope parts, functions, advantages, and limitations. Its built-in system has some unique and some sharing specifications with other microscopes. To know them in detail, you need to understand light microscope diagrams.
In the section, all the parts of the microscope diagram with the functionality are explained thoroughly. So, let’s head towards the first heading without delaying a second more.
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1) Objective Lens of Microscope
The objective lenses are high-powered glass to collect light and transmit through the tube to the eyepiece. The Light Microscope comes with multiple objective lenses. One of the lenses is placed near the specimen; it is the bottom area of the Microscope.
It is one of the crucial light microscope parts. Usually, this Microscope offers three objective lenses to magnify the image with 4x, 10x and 40x power. It means it shows images 4, 10, and 40 times bigger than their actual size.
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2) Eyepiece Lens in Light Microscope
The eyepiece comes at the top of the Light Microscope, and it locates on the Microscope’s arm. It enables you to see the magnified image with all the detailing inside the sample.
You can adjust the eyepiece to get the image in clear focus. It also magnifies the images as the objective lenses do for the Microscope. By lowering or getting up the specimen, you get the clarity of the sample to the max.
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It comes with a visible light system, and mirrors reflect the light through the tube on the specimen. The light Microscope gathers extra light and doesn’t let any amount of light go to waste. It helps the images in getting more precise and clear. When it comes to a simple light microscope, it uses a single lens. On the other hand, a compound microscope has multiple lenses to magnify the images.
3) Dual Adjusting Knobs
A coarse adjustment knob is very useful to get a quick and fast focus of the specimen. You can move the specimen from up to down and fix it at a point where it gives the ultimate clarity. The Fine Adjustment Knob helps the user when the magnification is higher, and it controls the focus at a slow pace but with precision and accuracy.
4) Tube in Light Microscope
The light microscope resolution mainly depends on the tube. The light travels from the objective lenses to the eyepiece. And this transmission of light takes place within this body tube. It is a major component that lies between the objective lens and eyepiece. It is the biggest component in light microscopes and all other microscopes.
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5) Stage of light Microscope
The stage is a flat component that comes under observation the most. For the specimen you want to examine, you put that sample on the stage with the help of a glass slide. To ensure the best light Microscope, you should make sure that this flat part is fully intact and smooth to hold the samples right in place. It should be scratch-free and rub-free.
6) Specimen of light Microscope
You put the object on the thin glass, known as a slide. Then you place this side on the stage to prepare the samples for examination. Then the mirror transmits light through the specimen. Clips help the slide to be placed at the point.
A light microscope has all these ingredients built-in to get the samples examined smoothly.
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8 Benefits of Light Microscope
There is a range of benefits that light microscopy offers. I have added almost all the Light microscope advantages below; take a look at the points below to know what you will get by having a simple light microscope.
- It furnishes relatively small in size than a compound microscope
- Magnification of light Microscope comes in variable patterns such a 4x, 10x, and 40x
- It allows you to observe the living and dead objects with super ease
- Multiple objective lenses to generate magnified images for the higher resolution
- If you look at the history of these microscopes, it goes back to the 17th century, and they might be the oldest ones in the row and the finest ones as well
- It is one of the Inexpensive and Easy to Use microscopes
- It gives you the ultimate original color of the specimen that can be viewed with a light microscope
- Less expertise is required to operate the device as compared to the compound microscope
All these benefits you get in a light microscope. These are good devices and submit multiple options to use them for varying nature or objects.
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Differentiate Between Scope Vs Simple Microscope Vs Light Microscope
These three sound similar somehow, but they are different from each other. In this section, I’ll tell you the major differences between these three shares, and after reading this brief detail, you’ll be able to make a clear difference between all these three.
Scope:
So, when it comes to scope, it is optical assistance; it helps your vision to get those things in focus, which you cannot see with your naked eye due to long distance. These things are not short enough that they are invisible, but the distance makes them invisible from a considerable distance.
So, to deal with such long-distance sighting issues, we use a scope, and it gives us clear, vibrant, and precise images of the object. You can use the magnification power to zoom in on the images as much as it offers.
It comes with multiple tools, components, and other tools such as adjustment knobs, rotating rings, objective lenses, the field of view, eye relief distance, and more. These things are indispensable to get you the image with clarity and precision from long ranges. It enables you to see animals, birds, play golf, view nature, and more.
Simple Microscope:
A simple microscope is an optical aiding device that enables your eyes to see those objects with the help of this device, which you cannot see with your bare eyes. Objects which are so small and minutes, such as blood cells, chemicals, bacteria, cell walls, and other living or dead objects.
The simple Microscope uses a single convex lens with a small focal length. And it magnifies the sample through angular magnification, which is the point at which the light travels from the objective lens to the eyepiece through the body tube. It is mostly used in microbiology.
You can find its usage in schools, labs, fields, offices, and other experimental sites. The light passes through the thin and transparent object; then, it magnifies the image to get a closer and bigger image of the object. It is how you get to see clarity and precision in images of such small objects.
Light Microscope:
It is a great optical aiding instrument that does the job of seeing for you. It shares your eyes’ burden and gets you the image of those next to impossible objects to look at with naked eyes. It is the type of Microscope that uses visible light and multiple series of components to magnify the image and create the same for your eyes.
It comes with a stage that you use to place samples on, and with the help of an eyepiece of the Microscope, you get to see every little change happening live in a living object. It usually comes with multiple lenses, not a single one. Multiple lenses play an inevitable part in having more richness, resolution, contrast, and quality of overall images.
So, it was a brief comparison between scope, simple Microscope, and light Microscope. Nos, you need to go down to develop your full and unstable understanding of the topic, that is, a light microscope and its types. To know more, you can visit Types of Microscope.
Light Microscope Price
The price of anything can go down or up any second, and it is a fact that prices vary a lot. The same goes for the Light Microscope, it hasn’t any fixed figure, but its price max goes up to $1000 all over America. But, it will get you a premium and highest quality microscope that will work beyond your imaginations.
However, if you manage to spend 200 to 300 bucks for a light microscope, you can surely get a reliable and high-quality light microscope. So, price and quality go hand to hand, and these two are parallel forces. So, the more you increase your budget, the higher the quality of the device.
So, here we reach the winding notes of this article, and if you read the information I shared above related to the light microscopes, I hope you are well aware of its parts, functions, how it works, and how it is different from other microscopes and simple scope.
Summarized Note
A light microscope is the best visual tool to observe living objects, and it uses the visible light system to magnify the images. It does with more than two objective lenses, providing higher resolutions and contrast. It shows you every minute detail of the smallest objects you put on the stage.
The light Microscope uses convex lenses to focus on the object with the help of visible light. There are multiple lenses you can use within this light Microscope. The concave lenses are the opposite, and they are far thicker than convex. So, convex lenses are used in microscopes for better image quality and precision.
You cannot see the viruses with the help of a light microscope, but it can show you the damage that viruses do. Viruses are smaller than the half wavelength of the light, so these are not visible. The light Microscope is limited by its visible light, which is why it doesn’t allow you to see viruses that are far tinier than the size of light.
The light Microscope is an optical instrument used to observe and examine living and dead objects. These objects are seemingly impossible to see with your naked eye. It is the same that goes. Scope helps you get closer shots of animals, birds, and birds’ objects, and a microscope does the same for small tiny objects.
The light Microscope is an optical device that helps you view objects that you cannot see with your bare eyes. It magnifies the image using multiple lenses and glass items within the Microscope. You can move the stage down or up to get the object within focus and fine observation. Fine adjustment and the Coarse adjustment knob help you adjust the settings and enjoy varying magnification to get the image closer by making it bigger.