Biological Microscopes: Meeting the scientific needs of the Student

Every year, schools allot a certain budget for supplies, laboratory, books and other basic school needs. One of the more expensive school equipment is the microscope specifically used in science subjects and laboratory experiments. For a student, biological microscopes are essential particularly in studying minute organisms and specimens, and without them it will be impossible to get the best results just using the naked eye and crude instruments to facilitate microscopy.

You can choose between a simple and a compound microscope. A simple microscope only has one lens while a compound microscope has an eyepiece and an objective. It is advisable to have a compound microscope instead of choosing the simple microscope since these types are almost obsolete. Its single lens has many abnormalities that can disappoint a student while magnifying a specimen.

There are cheaper microscopes in the market, but you cannot expect the best imaging result from them. Used microscopes are also available; however, take caution when considering buying these instruments. It is still safe to purchase brand new microscopes for students as they promise better quality imaging and performance.

Having a tight budget:

Buying in bulk is the best possible solution when scouting and planning to buy biological microscopes for your school. Always scout for reputable places and dealers, and never compromise your quality criteria for something cheaper than you expected.

Of course you can find a $100 per piece of biological microscopes for your school. These microscopes are specifically designed to meet the needs of your students.These are generally user-friendly, simple, with quality lenses that can deliver bright, sharp images.

What scopes should your school laboratory have?

You need to have two types of scopes in your school’s lab and should be equal in quantity. You need to have an inspection or dissection scope that has 20x to 30x magnification. These are used to look at larger, opaque specimens, and it illuminates an erect or life-like images.

The other scope you need for your school’s laboratory is the compound microscope. It uses transmitted light in for a user to magnify transparent specimens. Compound microscopes with a magnification of 100x to 400x are the ideal range for school laboratories. The compound microscope has an inverted image and it takes time to get used to especially if you are magnifying a moving specimen.

Physical features to look for in a compound microscope:

Always choose a microscope with metal body and focus. Metal is durable and it is ideal for frequent handling particularly in a school laboratory. Opt for glass lenses instead of plastic ones. Glass lenses are more capable of focusing on both thin specimens and larger specimens with at least one inch thickness.

Compound microscopes normally have a sub-stage diaphragm and a three-lens turret. A three-lens design is ideal for students specifically when locating specimens that require high magnifications.

What features to avoid when scouting for compound microscopes for your school:

- Avoid buying microscopes with higher magnification. Stick to the ideal 100x-400x magnification; higher magnification is empty and useless so to speak. Think of enlarging a photo from a cheap camera into poster size; yeah it’s larger but the details are distorted.

- Avoid zoom eyepieces. This feature makes it all a lot worse since cheap optics are loaded with anomalies. Magnifications can only be achieved by altering the microscope’s objective lenses.

- Avoid unnecessary binocular eyepieces. This will not only damage your budget, but it will also affect your school’s budget particularly when these instruments are damaged.

- Avoid microscopes with condensers. Though these instruments are highly advantageous for research microscopes, having it on a $100 microscope isn’t worth it. It will be hard to focus on a specimen, and condensers are quite hard to clean and can be easily damaged.

Features to consider:

- Wide field eyepieces are a must when scouting for compound microscopes for your school lab. You’ll be able to see more specimen area, larger and brighter image, and it is ideal for school use.

A wide field eyepiece gathers and transmits more illumination which results to brighter images. The ideal is 10x but you can go for 15x max.

- If you can find a fine focus at the budget of $100, then go for it. However, this is really a challenge, but if you truly need it, buy in bulk to enjoy discounts.

- If the compound microscopes you are eyeing at do not have fine focus, it is best to look for focus stops. Very thin specimens normally require a slide when magnifying them because these are quite difficult to focus.

It is a challenging task to plan, scout and purchase school items and equipment especially if you are following strict guidelines and a tight budget. But always remember your life as a student; biological microscopes are essential and you can surely find good quality without hurting your budget too much.