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Every guide on the site, grouped by topic. 100 articles and counting.
How Microscopes Work
The optics, the parts and the numbers behind magnification and resolution.
Microscopy Basics
- Introduction to Microscopy: What Microscopes Do and Key Terms
- Getting Started With Amateur Microscopy as a Hobby
- How a Compound Microscope Works: Following the Light Path From Lamp to Eye
- How a Simple Microscope Works (and How It Differs From a Telescope)
- How Lenses Magnify: Refraction Basics for Microscope Users
- Light vs Electron Microscopes: Differences and Pros and Cons
- Real vs Virtual Images in a Microscope, Explained Simply
- The First Light Microscope and the History of Microscopy
- Types of Microscopes Used in Biology
- What are the 7 types of light microscopes?
- What is a light microscope?
- What is a microscope?
- What is the difference between telescopes?
Microscope Parts
- Parts of a Compound Microscope and What Each One Does
- 160mm Finite vs Infinity-Corrected Objectives: Can You Mix Them?
- Barlow Lenses for Microscopes: Uses and Trade-offs
- Mechanical Stage vs Stage Clips: How They Work and Whether to Upgrade
- Microscope Filters: What Blue, Green and Neutral Density Filters Do
- Microscope Illumination: Lamps, Mirrors and Condensers
- Microscope Objective Lenses: Design, Color Codes and Plan Objectives
- Objective Working Distance: What It Is and Why It Matters
- Stereo and Binocular Microscope Parts Explained
- The Eyepiece (Ocular Lens): Function, Diopter and Pointers
- The Iris Diaphragm: What It Does and How to Set It
- What is a Barlow lens used for?
- What is the difference between 4x, 10x, and 40x on a microscope?
- What is the meaning of ocular lens in microscope?
- Which are the illuminating parts of the microscope?
- Which means mirror?
Magnification and Resolution
- Magnification vs Resolution in Microscopy
- Depth of Field and Focal Length in Microscopes
- Digital Microscope Magnification Claims: What "1000x" Really Means
- Empty Magnification: Why More Power Doesn't Always Show More Detail
- How to Calculate Total Magnification on a Microscope
- How to find the total magnification of a compound microscope?
- How to Measure Specimens With an Eyepiece Reticle and Stage Micrometer
- Microscope Field of View: Formula and How to Measure It
- Numerical Aperture Explained: The Number That Limits Your Microscope
- Resolution and Resolving Power of Light Microscopes
- What is magnification?
- What is the formula for magnification of a simple microscope?
- Why is the total magnification 400x when using a 40x objective?
Choosing and Using a Microscope
Picking the right instrument, setting it up and using lighting techniques to bring out detail.
Choosing a Microscope
- How to Choose a Microscope for Biology Students and Hobbyists
- Binocular vs Trinocular Microscopes
- Buying a Used Microscope: A Checklist Before You Pay
- Choosing a Microscope for Kids: Real Instrument vs Toy
- Choosing a Microscope for Soldering and Electronics Inspection
- Digital Imaging and Image Analysis for Microscopy
- How Much to Spend on a Microscope: What Each Price Tier Gets You
- LCD Display Microscopes: Are They Worth It?
- Stereo vs Compound Microscope: Which Do You Need?
- Upright vs Inverted Microscopes
- USB Microscopes: Are They Any Good, and What Are They For?
- What are the four types of microscopes?
- What is a microscope image?
- What is a trinocular microscope used for?
- What is the principle of sem and tem?
- What microscopes make 3D images?
Using a Microscope
- How to Use a Microscope Properly
- Can't See Anything Under Your Microscope? A Troubleshooting Guide
- Fun Microscope Activities and Experiments
- How to Set Up Köhler Illumination on Your Microscope
- How to Use a 100x Oil Immersion Objective Step by Step
- Using the Coarse and Fine Focus Knobs
- What are some good microscope experiments for high school students?
- What can a 1000x microscope see?
- Why is E inverted in a microscope?
- Why Microscope Images Are Reversed and Inverted
Contrast Techniques
- Contrast in Microscopy: Why It Matters as Much as Resolution
- Brightfield vs Phase Contrast Microscopy
- Dark Field Microscopy: Advantages and Disadvantages vs Phase Contrast
- DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) Microscopy Explained
- DIY Dark Field: How to Make a Patch Stop for Your Condenser
- Fluorescence Microscopy: How It Works and What It Shows
- How to Make Rheinberg Illumination Filters for Colorful Contrast
- Polarized Light Microscopy and Birefringence
- Transmitted vs Reflected Light Microscopes
- What is bright field imaging?
- What is contrast in microscopy?
- What is reflected light used for?
- What is the advantage of dark field microscopy?
Slides and Specimens
Making wet mounts, staining and permanent slides, and finding things worth looking at.
Specimens and Slides
- What Everyday Things Look Like Under a Microscope
- Can I turn my phone into a microscope?
- How does coronavirus look under a microscope?
- How to Find Tardigrades (Water Bears) in Moss and Lichen
- How to Make a Blood Smear Slide at Home
- How to Make a Hay Infusion to Culture Protozoa
- How to Make a Wet Mount Slide Without Air Bubbles
- How to Make Permanent Microscope Slides: Mounting Media and Sealing
- How to Prepare and Stain an Onion Cell Slide With Iodine
- Methylene Blue Staining for Microscope Slides
- Microscopic Study of Tissues: Histology for Beginners
- Microscopy Artifacts: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
- Observing Planaria Under a Microscope
- Sponge Spicules Under the Microscope
- Viewing Microorganisms Under a Microscope
- What are the 7 types of epithelial tissue?
- What can kids look at under a microscope?
- What does "artefact" mean in the context of science?
- What does methylene blue actually do to your body?