Dissecting Microscope

The dissecting microscope is one of the more common types of microscopes that are readily available from a general microscope dealer. Although the name of the microscope may imply that it is only used for one single purpose that is not actually the true meaning. A dissecting microscope also goes by the name of a stereo microscope, or even sometimes just a stereoscope. This type of microscope is often used in a laboratory setting to view specimens such as animals while they are being dissected under the microscope. Besides being used as a dissecting microscope, the stereoscope is also used by many other types of users including coin and stamp collectors, precious artifact collectors and many other types of people in similar fields. Dissecting microscopes are also used for magnifying organic specimens such as plants and bacteria.

There are several different types of dissecting microscopes. The most common type of dissecting microscope is a binocular microscope. The binocular microscope is also one of the lowest costing dissecting microscopes available. They will usually only have one single level of magnification if they are a low cost microscope. If you purchase a higher end stereoscope then they will most likely have an adjustment that controls the variable levels of magnification and zoom.

Another type of dissecting microscope is called a tri-nocular. A tri-nocular will have a third option for viewing specimens through a telescope. Often times you can use this third option to hook up to a microscope camera in order to take still and video pictures of the object that you are viewing through the microscope. These types of microscopes will usually cost a lot more than your average binocular microscope.

Caring for a dissecting microscope is the same as almost any other type of microscope. You should always keep the microscope stored in a place that is free of moisture and dust particles in order to preserve the function of the microscope. Make sure to clean the lenses of the microscope often so that the line of sight through the microscope does not become compromised by small dust particles that may stick to the lenses due to moisture. Smudge marks are another problem that is common when using a microscope. A small smudge mark from a finger that was caused during handling can greatly affect the way that a specimen is viewed through a microscope. Sometimes when you have a smudge mark on one of the lenses of a dissecting microscope, the specimen that your are viewing may seem to be blurred or distorted and even sometimes you may see particles that are part of the smudge mark but you might assume that they are part of the specimen.

Before deciding upon which type of microscope is going to best suit you and your applications, you should always check into the different options that are available to you. If you are going to be using the microscope in a classroom environment, then a dissecting microscope may be suitable for you.