ABSTRACT
This chapter is divided into two sections. The first covers the main components of a microscope and the second describes the main types of microscopes encountered in laboratories. In effect, this chapter is a tour of microscope components starting from the objectives and working down to the lamp that illuminates the optical train. These components provide magnification and define resolution while contrast can be affected by different microscope techniques. We will introduce some of these methods and describe others, such as bright field and polarizing light methods, in much greater detail in subsequent chapters.
