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The brightfield microscope is an optical instrument that uses transmitted light to illuminate specimens, making it effective for stained or pigmented samples. It consists of various components including a light source, objective lenses, and a focusing mechanism, and is widely used in biology, clinical diagnosis, and education. M. bovis is a bacterium causing tuberculosis in cattle and humans, transmitted through unpasteurized dairy or direct contact, with treatment involving standard drug therapy and a historical vaccine developed from its strain.

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2 views4 pages

Notes

The brightfield microscope is an optical instrument that uses transmitted light to illuminate specimens, making it effective for stained or pigmented samples. It consists of various components including a light source, objective lenses, and a focusing mechanism, and is widely used in biology, clinical diagnosis, and education. M. bovis is a bacterium causing tuberculosis in cattle and humans, transmitted through unpasteurized dairy or direct contact, with treatment involving standard drug therapy and a historical vaccine developed from its strain.

Uploaded by

Swasti Ranjan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Brightfield microscope

1. Introduction
A brightfield microscope is a widely used optical microscope that produces a bright
background with dark or colored specimens. It relies on transmitted light to illuminate the
sample and is most effective with stained or naturally pigmented specimens.

2. Principles of Operation
Illumination: A light source, typically a halogen or LED, transmits light through the
condenser lens, which focuses it onto the specimen.
Interaction with Specimen: Light passes through or reflects off the specimen, with parts of
the light absorbed or scattered by denser or pigmented areas.
Image Formation: The objective lens collects the light emerging from the specimen,
magnifies it, and projects it to the eyepiece or a camera for viewing.

3. Components
Illumination System
Light Source: Halogen or LED for uniform illumination.
Field Diaphragm: Controls the diameter of the light beam entering the condenser.
Condenser Lens: Concentrates light onto the specimen; adjustable for optimal illumination.
Iris Diaphragm: Adjusts the amount of light reaching the specimen, enhancing contrast.
Specimen Stage
Stage Platform: Holds the slide in place.
Mechanical Stage: Allows precise movement of the slide using adjustment knobs.
Optical System
Objective Lenses:
Available in different magnifications (4x, 10x, 40x, 100x oil immersion).
Collect light and magnify the image.
Eyepiece (Ocular Lens): Typically provides 10x magnification; some are equipped with
reticles for measurement.
Tube Lens: Combines the objective and eyepiece images for final viewing.
Focusing Mechanism
Coarse Focus: For initial focusing at low magnifications.
Fine Focus: For precise adjustments, especially at higher magnifications.
Frame and Body
Arm and Base: Provide stability.
Nosepiece: Holds and rotates objective lenses.

4. Magnification
The total magnification is the product of the objective lens and eyepiece magnification.
Example: A 40x objective with a 10x eyepiece results in 400x magnification.

5. Applications
Biology: Observing stained tissue sections, cell morphology, and bacterial smears.
Clinical Diagnosis: Identifying microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, in stained samples
(e.g., Gram staining, Ziehl-Neelsen staining).
Pathology: Examining histological sections to study diseases.
Botany: Viewing plant tissues and cells.
Education: Teaching basic microscopy techniques.

6. Sample Preparation
Fixation: Preserves tissue structure.
Embedding: Provides support (e.g., in paraffin wax for sectioning).
Sectioning: Slices the sample into thin sections for light penetration.
Staining: Enhances contrast (e.g., Hematoxylin and Eosin for tissue, Gram stain for bacteria).
Mounting: Places the sample on a slide with a coverslip.

7. Advantages
Simple and cost-effective.
Suitable for stained samples with high contrast.
Easy to use and widely accessible.
Requires minimal training compared to advanced techniques.

8. Limitations
Poor visibility of unstained or transparent specimens (e.g., live cells).
Limited resolution (approximately 0.2 µm).
Unable to provide 3D structural information.
Ineffective for observing fine intracellular details.

9. Maintenance
Regular cleaning of lenses with lens paper and ethanol.
Proper alignment of the condenser and light source.
Routine calibration for accurate focusing and magnification.
Avoiding exposure to dust and moisture.

10. Common Variants


Darkfield Microscope: Enhances contrast for transparent, unstained samples.
Phase-Contrast Microscope: Visualizes live cells without staining.
Fluorescence Microscope: Detects fluorescently labeled specimens.
Polarized Light Microscope: Studies birefringent materials.

The brightfield microscope remains a cornerstone tool in biological and medical sciences,
offering a fundamental yet powerful method for studying specimens.
Mycobacterium bovis

M. bovis is a bacterium that causes bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle and other animals and
can also cause TB in humans. M. bovis is usually transmitted to humans through the
consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. It can also be transmitted through direct
contact with a wound or by inhaling airborne particles. Symptoms of M. bovis infection
include fever, night sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Children, the elderly,
and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing M. bovis
infection. Treatment for M. bovis infection includes standard drug therapy, such as isoniazid,
rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide, followed by anti–tumour necrosis factor (TNF)
therapy. M. bovis can be controlled in livestock, but it's almost impossible to eradicate once
it's spread to wildlife. In 1908, French scientists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin used an
M. bovis strain to develop a tuberculosis vaccine

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