A microscope may be defined as an optical instrument , comprising of a lens or a combination of lenses which enables to view magnified images of a minute objects.
Compound microscope
I- Support system
It consists of base, stage & body tube.II- Illumination system
It throws light on the object for proper viewing.
It consists of light source or mirror, iris diaphragm & condenser. The light source may be a plain or concave mirror or electrically illuminated by a tungsten filament lamp or a halogen lamp. Mirror and electric source are generally interchangeable.
III- Magnification system
This includes a set of lenses aligned in such a manner so that a magnified real image can be viewed. The objective is a set of lenses placed near the object. It partially magnified the object, which can be viewed by the EYEPIECE in a more magnified form.
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Source: Practical Pharmacognosy - Dr. K. R. Khandelwal
