Name: Chedan Ceriaco Saint Louis University – CON

BSN I

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY – Exercise # 2

Ten errors in Microscopy commonly encountered in a Microbiology laboratory:

o Holding the microscope carelessly not in an upright position. (This can cause eyepieces
to fall out from the instrument.)

o Using paper towels or cloths instead of lens paper in cleaning the lenses of the ocular
objectives, condenser, and mirror. (This may tend to scratch the delicate glass surfaces.)

o Using the high – power objective at the same time focusing using the coarse adjustment
screw. (The distance between the objective and the slide is very small and may break the
cover slip and the slide and scratch the lens.)

o Focusing downward when looking through the microscope. (By observing from one side,
you can see that the objectives do not make contact with the cover slip or slide.)

o Permitting the objectives to get wet, especially when observing a wet mount. (The image
becomes distorted when the objectives are exposed to a wet mount.)

o Having a close contact of liquids with any parts of the instrument.

o Touching the lenses of the objectives. (The skin contains fatty acids which may not be
good to the lenses.)

o Tampering with any parts of the microscope.

o Insufficiently raising the body tube before placing and removing the slide on the stage.

o Pulling on the wire or cord when disconnecting from the light source instead of the plug.

Reference:

Microsoft Encarta Reference, 2004