How large is specimen under microscope?

AI Thread Summary
To measure the size of plant cells using a microscope without a built-in scale, it is essential to determine the field of view for the specific magnification being used. The discussion suggests using a magnification of 2.5 with an eyepiece of 8x, which can be calculated to find the field of view. A recommended resource provides a method for measuring cell size effectively. It is noted that average human cells are approximately 50 micrometers in diameter, while plant cells can reach up to 100 micrometers. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding magnification and field of view to accurately gauge cell sizes.
hexa
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Hello,

I thought I help my nice with her microscope. We want to know how large some plant cells are that we're looking at. Hoe do we do that?

There is no scale inside the microscope so I wonder if it possible to work out how large the field of view is with a certain lense. What do we have to do if we assume a magnification of for example 2.5 and the eye piece is x8? I already tried to put milimeter paper under the microscope but the light is not strong enough. Any other ideas?

Hexa
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Here is a good link for measureing cell size. With step #6, you should be able to figure it out.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/size.htm

For beginners, the average human cell is around 50 micrometers(0.05mm) in diameter. A bacterial cell is 3-5 micrometers.
Plant cells are larger, up to 100 micrometers.

Have fun!
 
Last edited:
hypatia said:
Here is a good link for measureing cell size
http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/size.htm

For beginners, the average human cell is around 50 micrometers(0.05mm) in diameter. A bacterial cell is 3-5 micrometers.
Plant cells are larger, up to 100 micrometers.

Have fun!

Thanks a lot,

the link seems to be what I was looking for. So let's see if we can work out how large the field of view is :D

Hexa
 
Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, "Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.", and "Kissing bugs bring deadly disease to California". LA Times requires a subscription. Related article -...
I am reading Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance. Please let's not make this thread a critique about the merits or demerits of the book. This thread is my attempt to understanding the evidence that Natural Selection in the human genome was recent and regional. On Page 103 of A Troublesome Inheritance, Wade writes the following: "The regional nature of selection was first made evident in a genomewide scan undertaken by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the...
I use ethanol for cleaning glassware and resin 3D prints. The glassware is sometimes used for food. If possible, I'd prefer to only keep one grade of ethanol on hand. I've made sugar mash, but that is hardly the least expensive feedstock for ethanol. I had given some thought to using wheat flour, and for this I would need a source for amylase enzyme (relevant data, but not the core question). I am now considering animal feed that I have access to for 20 cents per pound. This is a...
Back
Top