Microscopy Forum

Hi Everyone,

I am an amateur microscopist asking for help finding on-line resources, similar to microbehunter.com, that focus more particularly on using the dissecting microscope.  I am setting up a small home laboratory, and I am interested in learning about techniques, equipment and supplies, books and references, subjects and specimens (biological and otherwise) especially suited to low power stereo microscopy.  More specifically, information on specimen preparation, lighting and  tips on working with live plants and animals would be most appreciated.

Can anyone steer me to some websites?  Thanks – Avidor

Oliver said:

Hello and welcome!

Yes, I agree, there is much less material available on stereo microscopes (dissecting microscopes) compared to compound microscopes. We have a very nice set of stereo microscopes in the school where I teach and I have to say that I was (and still am) in a similar situation as you. There is much educational material available on compound microscopes and associated specimen preparation, but very little material on using dissecting microscopes in schools.

Stereo microscopes do not require the specimen to be thin and transparent. For this reason specimen preparation is often much easier and requires fewer technical equipment such as microtomes. Specimen fixing, staining and mounting are also not necessary. Due to this simplicity, there is simply no need to make the specimen stereo microscope compatible, and I think that therefore there is also much less material and documentation available. Maybe with the help of the microscopy community it would be possible to make a reference list of relevant Websites and books.

If you are interested in collecting minerals, then I can imagine that methods of polishing  the rocks would be appropriate. If you are interested in insects, then methods relating to the preparation and dissection of insects would be more relevant. These methods all do exist, but they are not specific to stereo microscopy. I therefore doubt that websites and books on stereo microscopy are generally able to cover these subject specific methods and issues. Some collectors even use stereo microscopes to check coins and stamps. I think that it is necessary to first look for specialist websites and books that relate more directly to the specimen that you want to to observe. With compound microscopes the issues are different, because it is much more restrictive in the type of samples that can be directly observed and many books have been written on how to bring the samples into a form in which they can be properly observed by the compound microscope.

The preparation methods etc. therefore depend much on the type of specimens that you are interested in and maybe your research becomes easier when you have decided on specific areas of interests.

I have already written something about stereo microscopes on my blog:

http://www.microbehunter.com/2…..croscopes/

http://www.microbehunter.com/2…..-projects/

 

As you are in the process of setting up a home lab, may I kindly invite you to write an article about it for a future issue of MicrobeHunter magazine? I personally would be interested and I am sure that other readers of the magazine would be as well.

Greetings, Oliver

Well, Thank YOU, Oliver, for addressing my question so promptly!  What you say is elucidating – of course the key will be to focus on finding information about specific specimens and their handling and preparation for relatively gross observation and dissection.  Also, since my stereo microscope magnification range is from 10X to 60X, any preparation suitable for low-power compound microscopy will be ideally suited for the stereo – things like wet mounts, whole mounts, well slides, etc. – so there are already lots of resources, references and tips available on-line.  And maybe I'll stumble upon a few new twists along the way which I will be happy to share on this forum. 

I appreciate your invitation to write an article for the magazine.  My dream of a versatile and fully functional light microscopy home lab may be a while in realizing, but when it does I would be happy to pass along whatever I've learned and could recommend.  Meanwhile I don't even have a compound scope yet, but for now I'll be working with the stereo scope collecting ideas, techniques, equipment and supplies and experience.

What a wonderful website you have initiated!  It delights me no end; you have imbued it with your obvious friendliness.  Thank you and your contributors for everything. 

Regards, Avidor

Tony T said:

Maybe it`s too late for you but one important aspect of all forms of microscopy is sharing one`s images.
Thus, a dissecting scope with a photo tube is very useful. Without such a built-in phototube you can sometimes get decent images with a camera attached to one of the eyepieces.

Often not much preparation is required for dissecting scope specimens, simply place an insect, leaf, fungus, lichen, etc, under the scope.

A useful technique, is to dissect and prepare moth genitalia – useful for identification.
This site explains the technique:

http://www.dissectiongroup.co……age44.html

and this site is for North American species:

http://mothphotographersgroup……ndex.shtml

Thanks for replying, Tony T.  Fortunately the stereo dissecting scope I bought came with a 3 megapixel digital microscope camera.  And thanks also for the moth links – just the kind of thing I'm looking for.