M800x Microscope Set
Permanent Prepared Specimens
Permanent specimens are those
produced from objects that you would
like to look at again and again. The
preparation of dry objects (pollen, the
wings of a fly, etc.) can only be done
with special glue. You’ll find such glue
at a local hobby store, identified as
“gum media.” Objects that contain liquid
must first have the liquid taken out of
them.
How to Prepare a Dry Object
First, place the object in the middle of a
clean slide and cover it with a drop of glue
(gum media). Then place a cover slip on
the object. Lightly press the cover slip, so
that the glue spreads to the edges. Then
let the specimen harden for 2-3 days.
When the specimen is firmly glued, you
will be able to use it.
How to Prepare Smear Specimen
For a smear specimen, a drop of the
liquid to be observed (e.g., water from
a puddle in the forest) is placed on the
end of the slide using a pipette. Then
you can smear the liquid across the
slide with the help of a second slide.
Before observing, let the substance dry
together for a few minutes.
Experiments
Experiment No. 1:
Black and White Print
Objects:
1. A small piece of paper from a
newspaper with a black and white
picture and some text.
2. A similar piece of paper from a
magazine.
In order to observe the letters and the
pictures, produce a short-term slide from
each object. Now, set your microscope
to the lowest magnification and use the
specimen from the newspaper. The
letters on the newspaper look frayed
and broken, since they are printed
on raw, low-quality paper. The letters
on the magazine look smoother and
more complete. The pictures in the
newspaper are made up of many tiny
dots, which appear slightly smudgy.
The halftone dots of the magazine
picture are clearly defined.
Experiment No. 2:
Color Print
Objects:
1. A small piece of color printed
newspaper.
2. A similar piece of paper from a
magazine.
Make short-term specimens from the
objects and observe them with the lowest
magnification. The colored halftone
dots of the newspaper often overlap.
Sometimes, you‘ll even notice two colors
in one dot. In the magazine, the dots
appear clear and rich in contrast. Look at
the different sizes of the dots.
Experiment No. 3:
Textile Fibers
Objects and accessories:
1. Threads from various fabrics (e.g.,
cotton, linen, wool, silk, rayon, nylon,
etc.).
2. Two needles.
Each thread is placed on a slide and
frayed with the help of the two needles.
Next, wet the threads and cover them
with a cover slip. Set the microscope
to one of the lower magnifications.
Cotton fibers come from a plant, and
look like a flat, twisted ribbon under
the microscope. The fibers are thicker
and rounder at the edges than in the
middle. Cotton fibers are basically long,
collapsed tubes. Linen fibers also come
from a plant, and they are round and
run in one direction. The fibers shine
like silk and exhibit countless bulges on
the thread. Silk comes from an animal
and is made up of solid fibers that are
small in diameter, in contrast to the
hollow plant-based fibers. Each fiber is
smooth and even and looks like a tiny
glass tube. The fibers of the wool also
come from an animal. The surface is
made of overlapping sleeves that look
broken and wavy. If possible, compare
wool from different weaving mills. In
doing so, take a look at the different
appearance of the fibers. Experts can
determine which country the wool
came from by doing this. Rayon is a
synthetic material that is produced by
a long chemical process. All the fibers
have solid, dark lines on the smooth,
shiny surface. After drying, the fibers
curl into the same position. Observe the
differences and the similarities.
Experiment No. 4:
Table Salt
Object: Common table salt.
First, place a few grains of salt on a
slide and observe the salt crystals with
the lowest setting of your microscope.
The crystals are tiny cubes and are all
the same shape.
Experiment No. 5:
Production of Salt Crystals
Objects and accessories:
1. Table salt.
2. A graduated cylinder filled halfway
with warm water to dissolve the salt.
3. Cotton thread.
4. Paper clips.
5. A matchstick or pencil.
Add salt to the water until it no longer
dissolves. You now have a saturated
salt solution. Wait until the water has
cooled. Fix a paper clip to the end
of the cotton thread. The paper clip
serves as a weight. Tie the other end
of the cotton thread into a knot around
the match, and dip the end with the
paper clip in the salt solution. Place
the match horizontally on top of the test
tube. It prevents the cotton thread from
slipping all the way down into the test
tube. Now, place the tube in a warm
place for 3-4 days. If you take a look
at the glass after a few days under the
microscope, you can see that a little
colony of salt crystals has formed on
the cotton thread.
Experiment No. 6:
How do you raise Brine Shrimp?
Accessories (from your microscope set):
1. Shrimp eggs.
2. Sea salt.
3. Hatchery.
4. Yeast. (not included)
Brine Shrimp, or “Artemia Salina” as
they are called by scientists, have
an unusual and interesting life cycle.
The eggs produced by the female are
hatched without ever being fertilized by
a male shrimp. The shrimp that hatch
from these eggs are all females. In
unusual circumstances (e.g., when the
marsh dries up), the male shrimp can
hatch. These males fertilize the eggs
of the females and from this mating,
special eggs are produced. These
eggs, called “winter eggs,” have a
thick shell, which protects them. The
winter eggs are very resistant and
capable of survival, even if the marsh
or lake dries out, killing off the entire
shrimp population. The winter eggs can
exist for 5-10 years in a “sleep” status
and will only hatch when the proper
environmental conditions occur. These
are the type of eggs you have in your
microscope set.
The Incubation of the Brine Shrimp
In order to incubate the shrimp, you
first need to create a salt solution that
corresponds to the living conditions of
the shrimp. For this, put a half liter of
rain or tap water in a container. Let the
water sit for approx. 30 hours. Since
the water evaporates over time, it is
advisable to fill a second container with
water and let it sit for 36 hours. After the
water has sat stagnant for this period
of time, add half of the included sea
salt to the container and stir it until all
of the salt is dissolved. Now, put a few
eggs in the container and cover it with
a dish. Place the glass container in a
bright location, but don‘t put it in direct
sunlight. Since you have a hatchery,
you can also add the salt solution
along with a few eggs to each of the
four compartments of the tank. The
temperature should be around 77º F
(25ºC). At this temperature, the shrimp
will hatch in about 2-3 days. If the water
in the glass evaporates, add some
water from the second container.
Need help? Call us toll-free at 855-863-4426.
