Assignment 1 Overview: Transillumination microscopy
I took a good clear piece of Cork, and with a Pen-knife sharpen'd as keen as a Razor, I cut a piece of it off, and thereby left the surface of it exceeding smooth, then examining it very diligently with a Microscope, me thought I could perceive it to appear a little porous; but I could not so plainly distinguish them, as to be sure that they were pores, much less what Figure they were of: But judging from the lightness and yielding quality of the Cork, that certainly the texture could not be so curious, but that possibly, if I could use some further diligence, I might find it to be discernable with a Microscope, I with the same sharp Penknife, cut off from the former smooth surface an exceeding thin piece of it, and placing it on a black object Plate, because it was it self a white body, and casting the light on it with a deep plano-convex Glass, I could exceeding plainly perceive it to be all perforated and porous, much like a Honey-comb, but that the pores of it were not regular; yet it was not unlike a Honey-comb in these particulars.
I told several lines of these pores, and found that there were usually about threescore of these small Cells placed end-ways in the eighteenth part of an Inch in length, whence I concluded there must be neer eleven hundred of them, or somewhat more then a thousand in the length of an Inch, and therefore in a square Inch above a Million, or 1166400. and in a Cubick Inch, above twelve hundred Millions, or 1259712000. a thing almost incredible, did not our Microscope assure us of it by ocular demonstration.
— Robert Hooke from Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon (1665)[1]
Introduction
Over the next few weeks, you will build an optical microscope using lenses, mirrors, filters, optical mounts, CCD cameras, lasers, and other components in the lab. The work is divided into 5 assignments. Each assignment requires some lab work, some analysis, lots of clear thinking, and an individually written answer sheet turned in on Stellar. All of the items you are expected to turn in are indicated by a pencil symbol in the lab manual.
This symbol means that you have to turn something in. |
Background reading and resources
You will work with log-log plots in this assignment and future ones. These seem to confuse everybody. Read this page to remind yourself how log-log plots work.
Several microscope manufacturers maintain educational websites, including Nikon's MicroscopyU, Olympus' Microscopy Primer, and the Zeiss online microscopy campus. The content on these sites ranges from basic concepts like Snell's law and Resolution to advanced techniques like supper resolution imaging.
Assignment details
This assignment has 4 parts:
- Part 1: Learn about optics and answer a few questions to answer before you start your lab work;
- Part 2: Some warm-up lab exercises;
- Part 3: You will build a microscope; and finally you will
- Part 4: Measure its magnification and the size of some small beads.
You will add fluorescence capability in the next part of the lab.
Submit your work in on Stellar in a single PDF file with the naming convention <Lastname><Firstname>Assignment1.pdf. Here is a checklist of all things you have to turn in:
Make sure to include answers to all the following questions: Part 1 (individually):
Part 2 (individually):
Parts 3 and 4 (as a team):
Note: Parts 1 and 2 will amount to 60% of your grade; parts 3 and 4 to 40%. |
- Overview
- Part 1: Pre-lab questions
- Part 2: Optics bootcamp
- Part 3: Build a microscope
- Part 4: Measure stuff
Back to 20.309 Main Page
References
- ↑ Hooke, R. Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon London:Jo. Martyn, and Ja. Allestry, Printers to the Royal Society; 1665