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Glossary
algae Nonflowering plants, usually aquatic,
including seaweed and many green
single-celled organisms.
antiseptic Inhibiting the growth of bacteria
or other pathogens.
bacteria Types of microscopic organisms
without nuclei, most of which are singlecelled.
Excerpt from DSM Small Things and Microscopes Teacher’s Guide, © Copyright by Delta Education, a member of the School Specialty Family.
Not for resale, redistribution, or use other than classroom use without further permission.
cell The basic structural unit of living
organisms, usually formed of cytoplasm
bounded by a membrane, with genetic
material contained within a nucleus.
epithelial cell A cell from an animal’s skin
or certain inner cavities, usually
occurring in sheets bound together
without connective tissue.
eyepiece The lens or group of lenses
closest to the eye in an optical
instrument.
focus To adjust a lens to produce a welldefined image.
lens A transparent material with at least
one curved surface.
cell membrane The thin casing that
surrounds the cell.
magnifier A convex lens used to enlarge
the apparent size of something viewed
through it.
cell wall The thick layer surrounding the
cell membrane in most plants.
nucleus A structure within a living cell that
contains genetic material.
chlorophyll The green pigment in some
plant cells, such as those in leaves, that
allows plants to photosynthesize, or make
food from carbon dioxide and water in the
presence of sunlight.
protist A one-celled organism from the
kingdom Protista, sometimes regarded
as an intermediate form between plants
and animals.
colony A group of the same kind of
microorganisms growing in a culture.
root hairs Extended cells near the tip of a
root that absorb water and minerals for
the plant.
compound microscope A microscope
containing two or more different lenses
mounted as a single unit.
slide A thin piece of glass or plastic used to
mount objects for examination under a
microscope.
crystal A substance with a regular pattern
of atoms or molecules that form a solid
with symmetrically arranged sides.
stage The platform of a microscope on
which objects are laid for examination.
crystalline Formed from crystals.
culture The process or result of growing
bacteria in a prepared medium.
cytoplasm The liquid-like material contained
within a cell membrane and surrounding the
nucleus.
stomata Small openings in the skin of a
leaf or stem of a plant, through which
gases are exchanged.
wet mount A microscope slide on which an
object is held in place by a cover slip
mounted with a drop of water.
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