Compound Microscopes

The main aim of this section is to look at cells. We list here a few live samples with interesting cell types that we have tested and recommend. In each protocol you will find a list of materials necessary, and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your sample. There are also some simple experiments that you can do with some of the samples, which will make them more interesting to look at- these are all well explained in the protocols and are very safe to do in the classroom or at home.

There are many other live samples you could look at to see interesting cell types. Some examples of easily accessible samples are onion peel cells, onion root cells (with methylene blue), potato cells (with Lugol solution), plant leaves (requires slicing) and pollen.