How to Prepare a Wet Mount Slide

Wet mount microscope slides are used with live organisms when the observer needs to view the subject while it is in motion or is reacting to some sort of environmental stimulus. The wet mount preparation procedure is relatively simple and should be in the skills set of all microscope users.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Slide
• Cover glass
• Eye dropper
• Sample to be observed

Preparing the Slide

1. Place a clean slide onto the work surface.

2. Place the sample to be observed in the center of the slide. If the sample is already in a liquid suspension, skip to Step 5. If not, you will need to add a liquid medium to suspend the sample for viewing.

3. Add a drop of distilled water over the top of the sample.

4. 
    

   Place the cover glass next to the droplet along one edge as shown in the diagram. The side resting against the glass will act as the pivot point as you lower the cover glass over the sample.

5. 
    

   Lower the cover glass into place. As you hinge the glass downward, the drop will spread outward and suspend the sample between the slide and cover glass for optimal viewing.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use stains with live samples. as stains will kill most of live samples. Hold slides and cover glasses by the edges
• Wear gloves when handling hazardous samples.

References

• Preparation of Wet Mount Slides
• SUNY Resource on Microscopy