Microscope Accessories

Microscopes are basic pieces of laboratory equipment and in general, they work with light or electrons. The choice of which microscope to use depends on the sample being studied. For any microscope to be used effectively, a number of accessories are necessary. To place a sample under the microscope, it needs preparation and there are a variety of slides. These can be made from glass or plastic and are usually one millimetre thick. There are flat and concave styles with a surface depression for liquid solutions. Frosted edging means slides can be marked for easy identification. Cover slips are made of silicate glass and hold samples in place. In the preparation of slides, fluids, tweezers, pipettes, staining solutions and paper towels are necessary. Petri dishes or plates are a shallow cylindrical glass with a lid and are used for growing cultures. The most popular culture media is agar and for preparation it requires beakers, flasks, glass stirring rods and distilled water. Other accessories include sterilisation equipment, electrostatic charged slides and histology slides. Microscope accessories are found in all laboratories, whether they are research, industrial or educational. Some histology slides are prepared solely for students or customised for specific laboratories.