Through the virtual microscope

The Compleat Microscopist

The microscope is an essential tool in biology, but learning how to use it requires practice and typically involves two different sets of skills: 

(1) Learning how to use the many knobs, sliders and switches that control the optical, electric and mechanical parts of the microscope.

(2) Learning how to interpret what you see.

The latter skill requires substantial exercise of the visual centers of your brain, and usually takes much more time to develop. 

Climbing the learning curve

This multimedia tool is specifically aimed at shortening the learning process for step 2, by teaching you how to recognize transparent structures and how to build up a mental 3-D reconstruction of the 2-D images your eyes see.

Recognizing each structure becomes much easier once you have seen some good examples. We therefore provide you with a selection of better-than-average microscopy specimen, captured through a microscope that is more powerful than the average student microscope.

The fine focus knob is the single most important knob on a microscope. Use it all the time!

Three-dimensional mental images require that you learn to interpret the many effects of fine focusing up and down through a specimen. We therefore present you with video images where the slider button simulates fine focus control.