How to Prepare Samples for a Microscope
When viewing a sample under a microscope, the image is magnified to a great extent, in order to make it easier for people to study the sample. One common sample prepared for a microscope study comprises of a bacterial smear attached to a slide. The sample is then stained for further processing.
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Things You'll Need
- water
- physiological saline
- droplet tool
- glass slide
- microscope
- sterilized instrument
- bunsen burner or open stove
- single or multiple dyes
Instructions
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Bacterial Smear Preparation
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1
Create a wax circle on the glass slide, then place a drop of water into the wax circle. Using a sterilized instrument, pick a very small sample from the bacterial colony and gently mix the bacteria sample and water together.
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2
Heat fix the sample by letting it air dry. This kills the bacteria and firmly fixes the smear to the microscope slide, so as to ensure that the sample does not slide away from the glass surface during observation. This also aids in staining the sample. Pass the dried slide through the flame of a Bunsen burner, or open stove, three or four times. When passing through the flame, make sure the smear side of the slide is facing up.
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3
Stain the bacterial sample by immersing it in a dye solution. This could be a single dye or a set of multiple dyes.
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4
Rinse the slide. It can now be inserted inside the microscope for observation.
Preparing a Wet Mount
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5
Cut a piece from the fungal sample and place it inside the water droplet on the slide. For better viewing, place several small sections of the fungal sample onto the slide.
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6
Place a cover slip over the water droplet and fungal sample. To do this right, place one side of the cover slip against the water droplet.
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7
Gently let the cover slip fall over the droplet. This should happen naturally. Tap it with a blunt sterilized object to get rid of any air bubbles.
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References
- Photo Credit Michael Hitoshi/Digital Vision/Getty Images
