Microscopes and Magnification

A key part of biology is understanding how magnification works and using instruments such as light microscopes to study the structure of organisms. This module is one to two lesson module that can also be used as focus day practical lesson. The module begins with explaining the concept of magnification and its importance in biology. It then progresses to the use of the microscope, and specifically how to calculate the magnification of images, as well as how the size of different components of the cell. Simple formulae are provided as well as the use of the magnification triangle which is a very helpful tool to calculate magnification and size. The module ends with practical worked examples as well as some practical and applied exercises with interesting topics such as insect wings, bird feathers and wood and stomata.