Study of a Compound Microscope

The structure of the compound microscope is very complex and so is the process how to use it.
The description of a compound microscope along with its different parts and their functions is
given below: A compound microscope can be divided into two parts; such as—
1. Mechanical parts
2. Optical parts

1. Mechanical parts:

(i) Base or Foot: The flat part on which the entire body of the microscope
is situated is called the Base or Foot,
(ii) Pillar: The vertical part placed in the backside of the base is called the
Pillar.
(iii) Arm: The upper bend part flexible fixed with the pillar by a screw is the
Arm. Holding the Arm we use to move the microscope.

(iv) Body tube: It is a long tube. It is fixed at the end of the bend arm. There
are two screws at the junction of the arm and the body tube. One of the
screws is called Coarse adjustment and the other one is called Fine
adjustment. By turning these screws the body tube may be moved
upward or downward as per requirement,
(v) Drawtube: The drawtube is inserted inside the body tube. It may be
pulled upwardly when necessary.
(vi) Nosepiece: It is circular body fixed at the lower end of the body tube. It
is provided with three holes with spiral threads in its inner wall where
objectives of different magnifications are attached.

(vii) Stage: The stage is rectangular and attached with the arm at the base.
There is a hold at the center of the stage through which light is focused.
Two clips are fixed on the stage at its base. Slide is fixed on the stage
with the help of the clips.
(viii) Diaphragm: By expansion and contraction of this part ascertains the
amount of light to fall on the slide.

(ix) Coarse and fine adjustments: At the top of the arm there are two large
screws on two sides; these are called coarse adjustment screws. With the
help of these screws the drawtube may be moved upward or downward
rapidly. Another pair of comparatively small screw is present below the
coarse adjustment screws. The drawtube may be moved very slowly up
and down, by moving these screws. These screws are known as fine
adjustment screws.
Expt. no. 01 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Observation of a plant cell (onion cell) under a microscope.

Requirements/Essentials:
Compound microscope, slide, cover slip, forceps, water, fresh onion, watch glass, paint
brush and glycerin, safranine solution.

Procedure:
1. A piece of juicy scale leaf is separated from the onion.
2. A thin outer layer is to be taken out from the dorsal part with the help of a forcep and
put it in water in a watch glass.
3. Now with a small paint brush, the scale piece is placed on a clean glass slide after
taking it from the water of watch glass.
4. A drop of glycerin is poured on the specimen object.
5. Now this separated thin membrane should be stretched upon a clean slide and stained
by using safranin and observed the onion cells through a compound microscope .
Observation:
When the onion cell is observed under the microscope, the following
characteristics are observed:

(i) Plenty of cells were seen in the thin membrane.

(ii) A single nucleus and cytoplasm were present in each cell.
(iii) A vacuole was observed in the cytoplasm.
(iv) The cell has definite size, it looks hexagon.

Precautions:
i. Fresh onion should be used.
ii. Thin layer should be taken out from the dorsal part very carefully,
iii. A drop of glycerin/water should be poured on the specimen object carefully,
iv. Onion cells should be observed through a compound microscope setting very carefully.
 Expt. no. 02 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Observation of an Animal Cell (Amoeba) under a microscope.

Requirements/Essentials:
Compound microscope, slide, cover slip, forceps, water, rotten leaves, drop, petridish,
pipette, glass, rod, bowl of glass and water.

Procedure:
1. At the beginning of the experiment, collect some rotten leaves with the branches of the
plant from the bottom of a ditch or a pond.
2. Cut them into smaller pieces and put the pieces in the water of the glass bowl and stir it
steadily with a glass rod.
3. After stirring the water for a while, set the bowl at rest in a place.
4. When the things will be settled on the bottom of the bowl, draw some of the precipitation
with a pipette and put it on a petriplate.
5. Now take a drop of the contents in the petridish on a glass slide with a droper and after
placing cover slip on it, observe under microscope.
Observation:
i. After searching for a while by moving the slide on two horizontal axes, you will find
some transparent, jel-like small organisms. These are amoebas.
ii. Plenty of cells were seen in the membrane.
iii. Cells are round.
iv. There is a nucleus in the centre of the cell.
v. There is no cell wall in the cell.
vi. Many pseudopods and vacuoles will be found in it and there will be a plasma
lemma/membrane surrounding the cell.
vii. There will be no plastids like a plant cell.

Conclusion:
Sample consists of many pseudopods and vacuoles. There is plasmalemma is covered the cell. So,
the cell is the animal cell (Amoeba cell)

Precautions:
i. Sample /specimen should be collected rotten leaves with the branches of the plant
from the bottom of a dish or pond .

ii. Microscope should be adjusted very carefully.

iii. Placing the sample on the slide, it should be covered by cover slip very carefully,
iv. The cell/sample specimen placed under microscope to the correct position.
 Expt. no. 03 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Experiment to demonstrate the necessity of chlorophyll and light in the process

Photosynthesis.

Requirements/Essentials:
A potted plant with green leaves, black paper, 95% ethyl alcohol, 1% iodine solution, and
paper clips, (the plant should kept in dark for a long time before experiment), beaker.

Procedure:
1. A part of a leaf on the potted plant kept previously in the drak would be covered with a
piece of black paper and clip in such a way that no light can reach there.
2. Then, the potted plant will be kept in sunlight for an hour to decolourise the cholorophyll
of that part.
3. After allowing the leaf to inactivate the chlorophyll in the covered part for an hour of the
leaf will be kept and boiled in 95% alcohol after plucking it from the potted plant.
4. Now the boiled and decolourised leaf will be drained with iodine.

Observation:
On taking out from the iodine solution it will be seen that all the area except the covered area
became blue (deep violet or black).
Conclusion:
Carbohydrate react with iodine solution turns to blue (deep violet or black). Sunlight did not
reach the area covered with black paper; photosynthesis did not occur there, that is carbohydrate
did not produce. As carbohydrate did not produce there, the area did not turn blue (deep violet or
black). Thus it is proved that sunlight and chlorophyll are essential for photosynthesis so to say
for manufacture of carbohydrate.

Precautions:
i. Black paper should be in such that light cannot reach through it.
ii. Before starting the experiment, the potted plant will be kept in sunlight,
iii. At least one hour before starting the experiment, the potted plant should be kept in sunlight.
 Expt. no. 04 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Experiment to demonstrate the release of energy in the form of heat

during respiration.

Requirements/Essentials:Two Thermoflask, some germinating chickpeas

(gram seeds), two thermometer, two rubber corks with holes, 10% mercuric chloride.

Procedure:
 The thermos flasks will be labeled as one A and the other with B.
 With some water some germinated chick peas would be taken in thermos flask 'A'.
 A thermometer should be inserted through the hole of a cork on the 'flask A' with its
opening sealed well.
 The remaining chickpeas with be taken in flask B after boiling them soaking in 10%
mercuric chloride solution for 10 minutes.
 Now, after taking the initial temperature of each thermometer 'A' and 'B', they should
be kept at rest.

Observation:
The temperature of the thermos flask, containing germinated seed, will be marked A rises but
there would be no thermal change in the other flask having seeds being inactivated with
mercuric chloride.

Precautions:
i. The seeds should be fresh and well germinated.
ii. The tip of the thermometer containing mercury should be positioned at the middle of
the stacked of seeds.

Expt. no. 05 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Experiment on demonstrating Osmosis through cell to cell.

The process by which solvent (water) diffuse from an area of high concentration through
a semi permeable membrane to an area of low concentration solution is called Osmosis.

Requirements/Essentials:
A big potato, a beaker, a blade/knife, a small bowl, water, sugar solution, a
blade, a pin.

Procedure:
 A bowl half filled with water is taken.
 Peeled off the potato and cut it at the ends and a hole at one end is made.
 The hole half filled with sugar solution and the potato in water of the bowl is kept in such
a way that the potato hole remains above the water surface.
 The solution level in the hole is marked. The whole experimental set is kept for some
time.

Observation:
i. After some time it will be seen that the water level in the potato has increased,
ii. The level of water of bowl has decreased.
Conclusion:
i. There is water outside the potato while in the hole there is sugar solution .
ii. The cell wall of potato is permeable and the cell membrane is semipermiable.
iii. The solvent (water) from outside has passed through many cells and enters
into the hole .
iv. According to the condition described above the process of entrance of water
from outside to inside is known as osmosis .
v. As water has passed through so many cells, to reach the cavity/hole the
process thus termed as cell-to-cell osmosis.
 Expt. no. 06 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Experiment on the demonstration of the ascent of sap in a plant

The process by which the cell sap raises from absorption region to the leaf and other parts
is called ascent of sap.

Requirements/Essentials:
A fresh Peporomia plant with roots, bottle of glass, water and safranin .

Procedure:
1. Take water in the test tube and pour a little dye (safranin or pen ink will do) in the test tube.
2. Then place the Peperomia plant in the bottle in such a way that only the roots immersed in the
coloured water.
3. At this condition the experimental set is kept for observation.

Observation:
After about an hour, it will be seen that the red dye has reached up to the leaves through the stem.
So, the stem and leaves becomes red.

Conclusion:
The stem of Peporomia is almost transparent, so through it the flow of sap can be observed.

Precautions:

i. The Peporomia plant should be fresh/living.

ii. The living Peporomia plant should be placed in the bottle in such a way that its root is
submerged into cultured water.
 Expt. no. 07 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Prove with an experiment that water is lost as water vapour from a plant
through the process of transpiration.

Loss of water in the form of water vapour from leaves and other aerial parts of a plant is
called transpiration.

Requirements/Essentials:
A fresh potted plant to be required for the experiment, a glass bell jar or a big and narrow
cellophane bag, thread or clip and required water.

Procedure:
1. At first, the plant with the pot will be placed on a table and water in required amount
would be poured in the pot.
2. Now. a branch of the plant with some leaves having been covered with a cellophane bag
will be clipped or tied with thread or will be covered with a bell jar.
3. The precaution should be taken that vapour cannot come out or air cannot get in.
4. The pot in this stage will be kept for an hour.
Observation:
After an hour, it will be found that water drops are studded on the inner surface of the cellophane
bag and the whole bag would become fuzzy.

Conclusion:
There was no scope of water vapour to come inside the cellophane bag (bell jar) from outside or
from the soil of the pot. Hence, water vapour has come out from the levels through the process of
transpiration and transformed into drops of water on the cold surface of the cellophane bag (bell
jar).
If bell jar is not available, some small leafy branches may be covered with transparent polythene
bag. Little drops of water will collect inside the bag by the process of transpiration.

Precautions:

i. The plant on the pot should be fresh and living.

ii. The opening of the cellophane bag should be tightly tied so that no air can get in or come
out.
 Expt. no. 08 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Comparison of the rate of pulse and blood pressure (for 3 persons) at rest and
after exercise.

By measuring blood pressure and pulse rate we can find out the motion of movement of
blood.

Materials/Essentials:
Stop watch, sphygmomanometer, stethoscope.

Procedure:
1. Three persons are selected for the measurement of blood pressure and pulse rate. They are
Rahman (Age-43 years), Sharmin (Age-41 years) and Ehsan (Age-38 years).
2. An arrangement is made to measure blood pressure and pulse rate of the above three
persons.
3. Now sitting on a chair at rest Rahman will keep his left hand on a table. The
sphygmomanometer is set up on the upper left arm neither very tightly nor very loosely
with the help of the cuff of the sphygmomanometer.
4. Then the chest piece of the stethoscope is set up below the cup and the two earpieces in
the ear is fitted.
5. The screw of the air pump of the manometer is lighted and air is allowed to enter in the
cup continuously with the help of the pump and is stopped to enter air at a mercury level
of 200 mm Hg.
6. Now the screw of the manometer is relax to allow air to get out gradually. When the
blood starts flowing through the artery, then a few sounds will be heard. At a point of
mercury level from where the first sound is heard indicates the systolic pressure.
7. The sound continues rhythmically and suddenly it is stopped at a point of a mercury level.
The point where the sound stops indicates the diastolic pressure.
 8. All the readings are entered to a table/chart.

9. Now keeping the finger on the wrist of Rahman for a minute pulse rai determined. This
reading is also written in the table/chart.

[Note: At present, auto/digital machine is available to measure blood press and pulse
rate.]
10. Similarly the pressure and pulse rate of Sharmin and Ehsan are measured.

11. Then after 10-20 minutes exercise the blood pressure and pulse rate of
above three persons are measured.

At rest After exercise

Names Blood Pulse Blood Pulse Comparison
pressure rate pressure rate
Rahman 130/90 72 135/95 76 It is found from
Sharmin 125/85 73 130/90 78 table that there
differences of b
pressure and pulse
Ehsan 120/80 75 130/90 80 of the three
persion
rest and after
exercise

Observation:
After exercise blood pressure and pulse rate is increased for all of the above persons.

Conclusion:
After exercise or physical work both blood pressure and pulse rate are increase.

Precautions:
i. The heart of a person and the apparatus should be kept on' the same
line/height.
ii. The sphygmomanometer and the heart of the person should be kept on the
same height.

iii. Systole and diastole should be measured very carefully,

iv. Pulse rate should also be measured very carefully.

[Note: Normal blood pressure and pulse rate of an adult and healthy
person are 120/80 mm Hg and 72 minute respectively.]
 Expt. no. 9 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Experiment to show the nature of exhaled air.

Requirements/Apparatus:
Two large test tubes or two beaker, lime water ad two plastic or glass tubes.

Procedure:
1. Prepare two large tests as shown in each containing a little clear lime water.
2. Put the end of both plastic tubes within the test tubes that it touches the water surface.
3. Now put the other ends of both plastic tubes at the same time in your mouth and breathe
in and out quietly through the tubes for about 15 seconds and note the difference in the
appearance of the lime water in the two tubes. Continue breathing through them for
another 15 seconds.

Observation:
You will observe that the lime water in the test tube B. has changed, because exhaled air has
entered into the lime water.

Results:
The presence of CO2 in exhaled air has changed the colour of lime water into milky white.
Exhaled air contains more Co2 than the inhaled air. On the other hand, inhaled air contains less
CO2, so the colour of lime water remains unchanged.
 Expt. no. 10 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Demonstration to show phototropism by a potted plant.

The stem and branches of a plant always move towards light and the root always moves
away of light. The movement of stem towards light is called positive phototropism and
the movement of root away of light is called negative phototropism.

Requirements/Apparatus:

Procedure:
The pot with the plant is kept inside the box and placed in such a place where sunlight can enter
into the box through the hole.

Observation:
After a week it will be found that the stem of the plant has bended towards the source of the light.

Stem grows towards light. The movement (i.e. development) of stem towards light is called
positive phototropism.

Precautions:
1. Fresh plant should be taken.
2. The tob/pot should be watered regularly so that the plant be alive/strong.
3. The tob/pot should be placed in such a place where sunlight can eater.
 Expt. no. 11 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Demonstration of Hydrotropism of germinating grams seeds.

Requirements/Apparatus:
Germinating gram seed, saw dust, water, soil, a sieve.

Procedure:
1. A sieve is filled with sawdust.
2. Four germinating gram seeds are placed towards the bottom of the sieve.
3. The sawdust is moistened with water.
4. The sieve then placed a little above the soil surface by supporting from either side of the
sieve.
5. The experiment set is then kept for observation.

Observation:
After 2-3 days it will be found that roots from the seeds come out through the perforation of the
sieve (due to geotropism) but again they bended and entered into the sieve.

Stem grows towards light. The movement (i.e. development) of stem towards light is called
positive phototropism.
Conclusion:
As the sawdust in the sieve was wet with water, thus the roots of the seedlings re-entered into the
moistened sawdust through the perforation of the sieve.

Precautions:
1. The gram seeds should be germinated.
2. The sieve must be well perforated.
3. The seeds/sawdust should be moistened with water.
 Expt. no. 12 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Observation of transverse section of ovary of a flower.

Flower is a special type of modified shoot for reproduction. A flower is a reproductive

organ of higher plant.

Requirements/Apparatus:
One China rose, blade, forceps, slide, brush, microscope, white paper, blotting paper.

Procedure:
1. Flower is longitudinally bisected and is observed under microscope.
2. The ovary of the flower is transversely bisected by a blade and is kept under a microscope for
observation.
Identifying characteristics:
Flower: Large, solitary, pedicellate, complete, regular, bisexual, hypogynous, red
in colour, actinomorpic, episepalous.
Epi-calyx: 5-8, free, green valvet.
Calyx: Sepals-5 united, tuluar, valvet.

Corolla: Petals-5, united with the stamina tube, red in colour, mucilaginous,
Twisted.

Androecium: Stamens-many, monadelphous, filaments are united at the base

forming a tube attached with petals, anther-one-celled and reniform, dorsifixed,
pollen grains-large and spiny.
Gynoecium: Carpels-5 united ovary-superior, penta-locular, stigma-5.
Placentation: Axile.
Fruit: Fruit is not formed.

Precautions:
i. The flower should be fresh.
ii. For longitudinal or transverse section should be used a sharp blade,
iii. All the parts of the flowers should be separated very carefully.
 Expt. no. 13 Date....................

Name of the experiment:

Identify the similar and dissimilar traits from parents and place them in a chart
with a nice presentation.

All the organisms in the world are characterized with their own unique features. Features
of individual organisms pass to the next generation and evolve in them. Heredity is the
passing of traits from father and mother to their offspring. The features of parents are
transferred to their offspring through heredity materials. These are chromosomes, genes,
DNA and RNA.

Requirements/Apparatus:
Two students and their fathers and mothers.

Procedure:
1. Two students are selected from my classmates whose names are Tomal and Suzon.
2. Characteristics of Tamal and Suzon and their father-mother are known from them.

Characteristics of each of them and their father-mother are tabulated in the

following table:

In case of Tamale:

Characteristics of Tamal Characteristics of father Characteristics of mother

1. Complexion is black 1. Complexion is black 1. Complexion is fair
2. He is tall 2. He is tall 2. She is short
3. Colour of eyes is black 3. Colour of eyes is balck 3. Colour of eyes is black
4. Eye brew is joined 4. Eye braw is joined 4. Eye brew is not joined
5. Very calm in nature 5, Calm in nature 5. Calm in nature
6. Colour of hair is black 6. Colour of hair is black and 6. Colour of hair is black and
and straight straight curly.
 In case of Suzon:

Characteristics of Suzon Characteristics of father Characteristics of mother

1 . Complexion is bright 1.Complexion is fair 1. Complexion is very bright
2. He is short 2. His height is medium 2. She is short
3. Colour of eyes is black 3. Colour of eyes is black 3. Colour of eyes is black
4. He is social and 4. He is social and friendly 4. She is social and friendly
friendly
5. Eye brew is not joined 5. Eye brew is not joined 5. Eye brew is not joined
6. Colour of hair is black 6. Colour of hair is black 6. Colour of hair is black and
and curly and curly straight **

Observation:
In case of Tamal, it is found that all the characteristics are inherited from his
father and no characteristics inherited from his mother.

In case of Suzon, complexion and height are inherited from his mother and curly hair is inherited
from his father. Except these two, all the characteristics are inherited from his father and mother.

Conclusion:
Generally due to manifest and concealed genes the characteristics/traits of father and mother
inherited to their children. If the genes of father is manifest to mother, then the characteristics of
father is inherited to children. On the other hand, if the genes of mother is manifest to father, then
the characteristics of mother is inherited to children. In case of Tomal and Suzon, the
characteristics of father and mother are inherited to them due to manifest and concealed genes.

Precautions:
i. All the characteristics should be selected very carefully,
ii. Each characteristics should be written separately.
iii. If the characteristics are similar to father and mother, it should be better to select other
classmates for observations.