Biology Van

Mic Mea doc 1995

Microscopic Measurements

Safety Notes:
None
Introduction:
An ocular micrometer makes it very simple to measure the size of micro-organisms that
are mounted on a slide An ocular micrometer consists of a circular disk of glass !hich
has graduations engraved on one surface "n some microscopes# the ocular has to $e
disassem$led so that the disk can $e placed on a shelf in the ocular tu$e $et!een the t!o
lenses% ho!ever# in most microscopes the ocular micrometer is simply inserted into the
$ottom of the ocular Before an ocular micrometer can $e used# it is necessary to cali$rate
it for each of the o$&ectives $y using a stage micrometer 'he principle purpose of the
e(ercise is to sho! you ho! to cali$rate an ocular micrometer for the various o$&ectives
on a microscope
'he distance $et!een the lines of an ocular micrometer is an ar$itrary measurement
that only has meaning if the ocular micrometer is cali$rated for the o$&ective $eing used
A stage micrometer# also kno!n as an o$&ective micrometer# has scri$ed lines on it that
are e(actly ))1mm *1) micrometers+ apart "llustration , reveals the appearance of these
graduations
'o cali$rate the ocular micrometer for a given o$&ective# it is necessary to superimpose
the t!o scales and determine ho! many of the ocular graduations coincide !ith one
graduation on the stage micrometer scale "llustration A sho!s ho! the t!o scales appear
!hen they are properly aligned in the microscope "n this case# seven ocular divisions
match up !ith one stage micrometer division of ))1mm to give an ocular value of ))1-.
or )))1/0mm 1ince there are 1))) micrometers in 1 millimeter# these ocular divisions
are 1/0m apart 2ith this information kno!n# the stage micrometer is replaced !ith a
slide of organisms to $e measured "llustration 3 sho!s ho! the field might appear !ith
the ocular micrometer in the eyepiece 'o determine the size of an organism# simply count
the graduations and multiply this num$er $y the kno!n distance $et!een the graduations
Objectives
1 1tudents !ill learn to cali$rate an ocular micrometer for each of the four o$&ectives on
a microscope
4 1tudents !ill measure the size of organisms using the ocular micrometer
Materials
ocular micrometer lens paper
stage micrometer immersion oil
microscope
Procedure
1 'he ocular micrometer is already in the eyepiece# so place the stage micrometer on the
stage# and center it e(actly over the light source
4 2ith the lo! po!er *1)5+ o$&ective in position# $ring the graduations of the stage
micrometer into focus using the coarse ad&ustment kno$
0 Ad&ust the amount of light and then rotate the eyepiece until the graduations of the
ocular micrometer lie parallel to the lines of the stage micrometer
/ "f the lo!-po!er o$&ective is the o$&ective to $e cali$rated# proceed to step .
5 "f the high-dry o$&ective is the o$&ective to $e cali$rated# s!ing it into position and
proceed to step .
6 "f the oil immersion lens is to $e cali$rated# place a drop of immersion oil on the stage
micrometer# s!ing the oil immersion lens into position# and $ring the lines into focus% then
proceed to the ne(t step
. Move the stage micrometer laterally until the lines at one end coincide 'hen look for
another line on the ocular micrometer that coincides !ith one on the stage micrometer
7ccasionally one stage micrometer division !ill include an even num$er of ocular
divisions# as sho!n in illustration A 8o!ever in most cases several stage graduations !ill
$e involved "n this instance# divide the num$er of stage micrometer divisions $y the
num$er of ocular divisions that coincide 'he figure you get !ill $e that part of a stage
micrometer division that is seen in an ocular division 9(ample: / divisions of the stage
micrometer line up !ith 0) divisions of the ocular micrometer 9ach ocular division ;
/-0) 5 ))1 ; )))10mm or 10m 1o if an organism spans over < ocular divisions# its
length is < 5 10m ; 1)/ micrometers *m+
< =eplace the stage micrometer !ith slides of organisms and-or human chromosomes to
$e measured
Student Evaluation
Name(s)______________________________________________________________
itle >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Objectives
1 1tudents !ill learn to cali$rate an ocular micrometer for each of the o$&ectives on a
microscope
4 1tudents !ill measure organisms or o$&ects !ith an ocular micrometer
Observations
7$&ective 7cular 3ivision * m+>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
7$&ective 7rganism Measurement
* m+>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
?o! -po!er
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
8igh-dry po!er
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
7il immersion>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
9stimate the size of three different human chromosomes in micrometers
>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
!iscussion:
1 2hy did ocular division decrease as the o$&ective $ecame more po!erful@
4 Arom the o$servation of chromosome sizes# ho! can this $e used as an identifying
tool@
0 Bive three applications for the ocular micrometer
?ast updated <-)1