Microscope Slides

When viewing specimens through a microscope they are usually placed on an object which is called a microscope slide. Most microscope slides are made from thin glass and they are meant to protect the specimen that is being viewed, as well as to help improve the viewing experience for the user.

There are a couple of different types of slides that can be used when viewing objects through a microscope. The first type of slide is what is commonly referred to as a wet mount. A wet mount slide is used to view objects by placing the specimen on one piece of a glass slide and then placing a few drops of water onto the specimen. After putting a few drops of water onto the object, another piece of glass slide is put over the top of the moist specimen in order to flatten out the object for a better viewing angle. By flattening the specimen it allows for a more even surface so that the actual clearness of the projection can be maximized. It is easier to focus on an object when it is evenly distributed as opposed to some parts being closer to the lens of the microscope, and some parts being further away due to its size.

Another type of slide is a fixed slide which is made to permanently display a single specimen inside of the slide without using water. Sometimes a scientist will have a slide with a fixed object such as butterfly or an ant. These specimens are permanently attached to a specific slide and do not need water to be viewed under a microscope.

There are pre made slides that can be purchased from specialty stores and online websites that deal specifically with microscopes and their accessories. The types of specimens that can be purchased in these slides are very abundant. A person who wants to examine a biological specimen can find almost anything from the most common algae all the way to a specimen of human bone marrow. Although it may be somewhat of a common substance, water can even be found in these pre made slides. Different types of water have different types of living organisms within it. Some of the most biologically infested water usually comes from a natural lake that has minimal contact with humans. In these types of lakes many organisms grow and survive but cannot be seen by the naked eye. When water from this type of lake is placed under a microscope slide it can be somewhat of an eye opening experience for the viewer.

Keeping your microscope slides clean and free from contaminants is extremely important in order to view the specimen clearly. A common problem with viewing slides is the way that they are handled. A slide should be held by its outside edges or as close to the edge as possible. The reason that the slide should be held this way is so that fingerprints do not get onto the slide.