Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 1
Butterfly Scales
1. On LOW power, focus on some tiny butterfly scales. About
how many do you see in your field of view?
2. Switch to MEDIUM power. About how many scales are in
this field of view?
3. Now switch to HIGH power. How many scales?
4. On what power was the photo above taken? (LOW, MEDIUM,
HIGH)
5. Many scales are damaged. Search for the best scale you
can find and DRAW it. Also DRAW a damaged scale.
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 2
Fly Wing
6. Look at this Fly Wing under LOW and MEDIUM power (do
not use HIGH power on this specimen). Which power was
used to take the photo above?
7. This specimen was found in a spider’s web. Using MEDIUM
power, search for an area with tiny stringy fibers. What
do you think they are? DRAW this area and be sure to
include the fibers.
8. These two pictures show different types of fly wings.
After careful observation, which picture is most like our
specimen? (Wing A or Wing B)
A
B
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 3
Nematode worm
9. Under MEDIUM power search for a good specimen of a
Nematode worm. It should look like the picture above.
DRAW it.
10. Switch to HIGH power. Can you fit the entire worm
into your field of view? DRAW what you see.
11. Which picture below best matches our sample of the
Nematode round worm.
Worm A
Worm B
Worm C
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 4
Radiolaria are tiny sea
creatures that live near the
surface of the ocean. Our slide
shows the shells or exoskeletons of
several varieties.
Radiolaria
Note: this is not our sample
12. In HIGH power, search the slide and focus carefully until
you find a crescent-shaped, cigar-shaped, and starshaped specimen. DRAW each on your answer sheet.
These photos should give you an idea of what you are looking
for:
V
Star shape
Crescent shape
Cigar shape
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 5
Goldfish Scales
13. Examine these fish scales under LOW, MEDIUM, and
HIGH power. DRAW all three.
14. The photo above was taken in which power?
15. How many scales are in your field of view under MEDIUM
power.
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 6
Duck Feather
This specimen is from a very famous
cartoon character who found Elmer Fudd’s aim to be no better
than that of some politicians. But don’t worry, our famous
friend is alive and well and as Daffy as ever!
Likely Th’story!
16. Examine the specimen under LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH
power. DRAW each.
17. Which power is our photo above in?
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 7
This specimen was donated by
our friend, the Lab Skeleton.
18. What is this specimen?
Bone Cells
(this is not a trick question, just
an easy one).
19. DRAW the specimen under MEDIUM power in as much
detail as you can.
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 8
This is the leg of a fly. (Nippy had
the rest of it for a late night snack)
Fly Leg
20. DRAW the leg under LOW power.
21. DRAW the leg under MEDIUM power.
23. DRAW the foot end under HIGH power.
(Anyone have a nail clippers?)
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 9
9A
Lung Tissue
9B
These slides show lung tissue from two different people,
a smoker and a non-smoker. Examine both slides under
LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH power.
24. Which sample belonged to the smoker (9A or 9B)?
25. Search slide 9B on high power for an area you would
just love to DRAW. Well, draw it anyway!
Cigarettes
are cool!!
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 10
Human Blood (10A)
Frog Blood (10B)
Study each slide under all three powers.
26. Other than size, how are human blood cells different
from frog blood cells? (hint: look at the center of the cell)
27. Which cells are larger; frog or human?
28. DRAW a single human red cell and a single frog blood
cell.
Did he say
BLOOD?
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Compound Microscope Lab
Station 11
Hey, my name is
Bugs. You are
looking at the Hair
of a very famous
Hare! What’s up,
Doc?
Hare Hair
29. DRAW in LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH powers.
30. Describe something you could see in HIGH power that didn’t
show up in LOW power. Pretty cool, hey?
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 12
Human Chromosomes
Human chromosomes are the blueprints for making new life.
We all started out with 23 pairs which contained all the
information for making us a unique human being.
Focus in on the chromosomes in LOW, MEDIUM, and then
HIGH power. Try to find something that looks like the
pictures on this page (in high power). This may take a while
and is very challenging.
31. DRAW your best view of chromosomes in HIGH power.
Human Chromosomes on HIGH power
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 13
The Eye of the Fly
Fly Eye
This eye was surgically removed from a fly
that up and died on the window sill of our
classroom. A fly has a Compound Eye, very
different from our own. Study this eye
using LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH powers.
32. In MEDIUM power, focus through the
various layers until you see many small cellshaped structures. Each cell or segment can “see” its
own separate image. DRAW a portion of what you see.
33. On HIGH power, adjust the focus and lighting until you
get a good view of one individual segment. DRAW a
single segment of the compound eye in detail.
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 14
This cross section of a corn
leaf has been stained green so
it can be seen better under
the microscope.
34. Look at this slide under all
three powers.
DRAW your favorite view
and label what power it is
under (LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH)
35. Write “this lab is fun” on your
answer sheet.
36. Some parts of the leaf are
damaged. DRAW a damaged
section as seen in HIGH
power.
Zea Mays (corn) Leaf
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 15
This is a single-celled animal
called a Paramecium.
(You’ll find him inside the red circle)
Paramecium
37. DRAW one of our little Paramecium buddies in detail.
Use HIGH power. Label whatever structures you
can identify from the diagram below,
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 16
This is the leg of a spider.
Originally he had 8 of them so I
think he could share just one or
two with us … don’t you?
Spider Leg
38. DRAW the spider leg under MEDIUM power.
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 17
This little microscopic
critter was removed from a
plant it was feasting on.
Some species of lice are
meat eaters and would love
to feast on you!
Plant Louse
39. Examine this specimen in LOW, MEDIUM, and
HIGH power. Which magnification is best for
viewing the entire critter at once?
40. How many legs
does it have?
Oooh, that’s a
Tricky question?
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 18
This is the familiar fibrous
fuzzy fluff frequently found
floating freely from forward flying
pheasants frolicking frivolously in
the foliage while foraging for food
… on Friday!
Pheasant Fur
41. How many words in the above sentence begin with
the letter “F”?
42. Search for an interesting area on the slide and
DRAW it in LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH powers.
43. On MEDIUM power, focus through the layers using
the fine focus knob and count the number of
layers you can find in this specimen. How many?
Compound Microscope Lab
Station 19
The Fruit Fly
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Run the Power Point slide
show for Station 19. Read
questions from the slide
show and answer them on
your lab sheet.
Compound Microscope Lab
Never use Coarse Focus on High power
Station 20
This is an Intel DIGITAL Microscope.
It connects to the computer and allows
the user to take digital photos and
movies of various living or nonliving
specimens. Also, it is possible to add
special effects to the images.
46.
47. DRAW
Specimen name