Nograles Ryan B.

STEM 11-B

1.

Eyepiece or Ocular lens:

An eyepiece is a magnifying lens attached to the microscope which helps in

magnifying the sample object. It is called an eyepiece as we need to place our eye
near it in order to see the magnifying image of the sample.
2.

Body Tube:

A body tube is an integral part of the microscope as it holds the eye piece and
connects it to the objective.
3.

Arm:

The arm is the part of microscope that connects to the base and helps carry the
microscope easily. One can hold the arm with on hand and put another hand under
the base of the microscope so that it can be carried easily.

Nograles Ryan B.
STEM 11-B
4.

Base:

The base is the bottom part of the microscope, usually made up of durable material
as it supports the microscope to stand and provides stability. The base is very
important as stability is very important to gain accurate results. With an unstable
base, the results may not be as accurate as we require.
5.

Illuminator:

An illuminator is a source of light usually situated at the bottom/ base of the

microscope. It is a low voltage halogen bulb of about 110 volts to provide steady
light to the sample in order to facilitate the experiment/study.
6.

Stage:

A stage is an indispensable part of the microscope. It is a flat surface where the

slide with the specimen is placed. A mechanical stage is a stage used when working
with higher magnifications. It is moved by using knobs as even the slightest
moment can affect the results.
7.

Stage Clip:

Stage clips are used to hold the slides in place in the absence of a mechanical
stage. It is used in comparatively simpler experiments. But even in simpler
experiments, the movement of slides is crucial hence stage clips are used to
provide stability to the slides.
8.

Revolving Nosepiece or Turret:

A nosepiece is the part of the microscope which holds two or more objectives
simultaneously to provide various magnifications in order to view the same
specimen in various dimensions.
9.

Objective lens:

Objective lens is the part of microscope responsible for magnifying the image of
specimen. Usually there are three objective lenses in a standard microscope of 10X,
40X and 100X. Depending upon the aim of study and nature of the specimen, the
most suitable objective lens can be brought to use.
10. Rack Stop:
It is a part of the microscope responsible for adjusting and determining the distance
between the objective lens and the specimen. It is very important as it avoids the
ramming of objective lens into the slide, which can result in destroying the slide and
specimen.

Nograles Ryan B.
STEM 11-B
11.

Condenser Lens:

The function of the condenser lens is to collect the light from the illuminator and
focus it on the specimen. A microscope with a condenser provides with a sharper
and clearer image than a microscope without a condenser.
12.

Diaphragm or Iris:

The diaphragm is used to control the amount of light reaching the specimen. In a
student scope it is a rotating disk under the stage and above the condenser. There
are various holes in the diaphragm in order to facilitate the variants in the
experiments carried on.
13.

Coarse adjustment knob:

A coarse adjustment knob is a knob present on the arm of a microscope. The main
function of this knob is to move the specimen back or forth to adjust the slide
containing specimen in order to bring it to focus and show the best image possible.
The coarse adjustment should be carefully moved and adjusted to attain desired
results.
14.

Fine Adjustment Knob:

This knob is a sub part of the Coarse adjustment knob. It is used to bring the
specimen into sharp focus.
15.

Power Switch:

A Power switch is an electrical switch present at the bottom of the microscope in

order to switch of the light source i.e., the illuminator. At times the researcher/user
does not require the light from illuminator. In such a case, the power switch can be
used to turn off the illuminator.
16.

Low Power Objective:

Low Power objective is a short length objective, most widely used in the
microscopes to view slides. Usually the experiments carried, use low power
objective until the study of the specimen is very specific. Also due to the short
length of the objective, it avoids ramming into the slide and protecting it from
breaking.
BIOLOGY
Biology is the science of life. Biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin,
evolution and distribution of living organisms. There are generally considered to be
at least nine umbrella fields of biology, each of which consists of multiple

Nograles Ryan B.
STEM 11-B
subfields. The word biology is derived from the greek words /bios/ meaning /life/ and
/logos/ meaning /study/ and is defined as the science of life and living organisms. An
organism is a living entity consisting of one cell e.g. bacteria, or several cells e.g.
animals, plants and fungi.
Aspects of biological science range from the study of molecular mechanisms in
cells, to the classification and behaviour of organisms, how species evolve and
interaction between ecosystems.
Biology often overlaps with other sciences; for example, biochemistry and
toxicology with biology, chemistry, and medicine; biophysics with biology and
physics; stratigraphy with biology and geography; astrobiology with biology and
astronomy. Social sciences such as geography, philosophy, psychology and
sociology can also interact with biology, for example, in administration of biological
resources, developmental biology, biogeography, evolutionary psychology and
ethics.
Science and Technology
Science is a systematic way of acquiring knowledge about a particular field of study.
According to Science Made Simple, a leading website in scientific eduction, science
helps us to gain knowledge, through an organized system of observation and
experimentation. This system is used to describe different natural phenomena. The
aforementioned description is that of pure science, and biology, chemistry, physics
and Earth science are the basic fields of pure science.
Technology can be defined as the products, tools and processes used to accomplish
tasks in daily life. According to Use of Technology, technology is the application of
science to solve a problem. Technology involves the application of engineering and
applied sciences to solve the practical problems of human lives.
Technology is basically human knowledge that is used to create products and
artifacts with the help of innovative tools, systems and materials. Technology is
used for communication, manufacturing, learning, securing data and transportation;
it is often a consequence of science and engineering, but technology as a human
activity precedes the other two fields.

Branches of Biology
Biochemistry: the study of the material substances that make up living things
Botany: the study of plants, including agriculture
Cellular biology: the study of the basic cellular units of living things
Ecology: the study of how organisms interact with their environment

Nograles Ryan B.
STEM 11-B
Evolutionary biology: the study of the origins and changes in the diversity of life
over time
Genetics: the study of heredity
Molecular biology: the study of biological molecules
Physiology: the study of the functions of organisms and their parts
Zoology: the study of animals, including animal behavior
Sub Branches of Biology:
1: MORPHOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of external
characteristics of living organisms.
2: ANATOMY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of internal characteristics
of living organisms.
3: HISTOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of Tissues of plants and
animals under microscope.
4: CYTOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of structure, function,
and composition of cell and organelles of plants animals.
5: PHYSIOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of functions and
activities of various organs.
6: ECOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of relationship of
organisms between eachother and with their non living environment. It is also
known as Environment Biology.
7: EMBRYOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of progressive
development changes which occur after zygote formation up to the formation of
organism.
8: TAXONOMY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of description,
identification, classification and scientific naming of an organism according to their
similarities and dissimilarities.
9: GENETICS: Branch of biology that deals with the study of transmission of
hereditary characters from parents to their offsprings.
10: PALEONTOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of plants and
animals now founds as fossils in the rocks. It is further divide in to two branches.

Nograles Ryan B.
STEM 11-B
a: Paleobotany: It is the study of plant fossils.
b: Paleozoology: It is the study of animal fossils.
11: BIOTECHNOLOGY: Branch of biology that deals with the study of applications
of biological processes for the benefit of the mankind.
.