Download Microworlds Project

NAME: _____________________________
Lab day: ____________________________
Microworlds Project Instructions
The purpose of this project is to allow you to become very familiar with the use of the
microscope before you get into classes (such as microbiology) where microscope use
will be assumed. To this end, you will be expected to complete roughly one Microworld
entry per week. An example and a blank form are provided below.
1. You are required to complete a total of 10 Microworld entries of biological organisms or parts.
This means that you must complete 5 pages total; there are two entries per page. You can copy
the “Microworlds Project.doc” form or use the forms in appendix C of the lab manual.
2. The first two Microworlds entries (1 page) are due at the end of the lab in week 2, the next two
are due at the end of the lab in week 4 (check the schedule). These will be graded and handed
back to you so that you can be assured that you are completing the entries correctly.
3. You will be turning in these first four and eight more at the end of lab 10 at the end of the term
(for a total of 10 Microworlds or about 60 pts, see syllabus for exact number of points).
4. Please carefully review the requirements for the Microworlds project below:
a. At least FOUR entries must be done using the oil immersion lens. Most entries should
be using oil (1000x total magnification) or 400x total magnification.
b. You may not use 40x total magnification unless the specimen fills the entire field of
view (such as with worms). Human tissues do not count as an entire specimen as I
expect you to draw the cells, not the tissue. No more than 4 entries may use 100x total
magnification or less (meaning most should be 400x or 1000x total magnification).
c. At least TWO entries must be done using slides that you made yourself (not preprepared slides; for example: cheek cells, Elodea leaf sample, yeast, etc)
d. Make a careful and accurate drawing of what you actually see through the microscope.
You may color the drawing, but coloring is not required.
e. “Name of Specimen” is what you are looking at. If it is a prepared slide, write what it
says on the slide. If you made the slide, write a detailed description of what you are
looking at (“human cheek cell” or “scrapping from my dog’s teeth”).
f. “Kingdom” is the Kingdom the specimen belongs to. If you are unsure, look it up on
the internet. There are also books in the lab to help you. We will use 6 kingdoms.
g. “Total magnification” is the magnification of objective lens times the magnification of
eyepiece.
h. “Field size” is the size of the field of view of you are looking at which depends on the
objective you are using. You measured this in the first lab; use those measurements!
i. “Estimation of object size” is for you to estimate the size of the part of the specimen
you are observing (make a best estimate). For full credit, clearly label the part on your
drawing you are estimating the size of otherwise I cannot check your size estimate.
j. “Key to labelled structures” is where you will label a minimum of two things on your
drawing. I suggest that you make additional labels in case one is invalid. If you don’t
know what any structures are, look up the name of your specimen on the internet or use
the Microworld books in the lab. If you still don’t know, do your best to try to identify
something. Draw a line from the structure out to your label (which may be abbreviated).
Vary your structures labelled in your specimens. You may only use a structure (such as
the cell membrane or the nucleus) in five Microworlds. After the fifth time, I will no
longer count that structure as one of your required two labelled structures.
NAME: _____________________________
Lab day: ____________________________
Microworlds Project Example
cm
CM
sp
N
Name of specimen:
Human Cheek Cell
Kingdom: Animalia
Name of specimen:Spirilli (spiral shaped
bacteria)
Kingdom:Eubacteria
Total magnification: 400X
Total magnification: 1000X (oil)
Field size: 500μm
Field size: 200μm
Estimation of object size (be sure to indicate the Estimation of object size (be sure to indicate
object): 1 cell = 200μm in length
the object): length of 1 bacteria = 50μm
Key to labelled structures:
Key to labelled structures:
(e.g. cw = cell wall, n = nucleus, etc.)
Add additional items as necessary
(e.g. cw = cell wall, n = nucleus, etc.)
Add additional items as necessary
1. cm = cell membrane
1. cm = cell membrane
(Did you catch the error? This should be a cell
wall. I would penalize such errors for plants.)
2. n = nucleus
3. bacteria (the blue dots on the surface of the
left cell)
2. sp = spiral-shaped bacteria (no other
structures can be clearly seen, but cytoplasm is
obviously present)
4.
3.
5.
NAME: _____________________________
Lab day: ____________________________
Microworlds Project
Name of specimen:
Name of specimen:
Kingdom:
Kingdom:
Total magnification:
Total magnification:
Field size:
Field size:
Estimation of object size (be sure to indicate the Estimation of object size (be sure to indicate
object):
the object):
Key to labelled structures:
Key to labelled structures:
(e.g. cw = cell wall, n = nucleus, etc.)
Add additional items as necessary
(e.g. cw = cell wall, n = nucleus, etc.)
Add additional items as necessary
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