microscope

Definition: Optical instrument designed to give a very high magnification image of very small object. * Optical microscopes consist of (a) a tube 160 mm long with (b) an objective lens at the object end and (c) an eyepiece at the viewer end plus (d) a stage on which the object is carried and finally (e) a lighting arrangement, usually in the form of a sub-stage condenser focusing a light-source into the objective. * The objective forms an aerial image of the object on the focal plane of the eyepiece which enlarges the image for the viewer's eye.

Related Terms: electron microscope

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