In the modern world of digital technology, optical microscopes are considered obsolete; they have been replaced by digital analogues. This provides both advantages and disadvantages. But, undoubtedly, digital microscopes have greater potential and capabilities, which any student can now use.

A microscope is a laboratory optical system for obtaining magnified images of small objects for the purpose of viewing, studying and applying in practice. The combination of manufacturing technologies and practical use of microscopes is called microscopy.

Using microscopes, the shape, size, structure and many other characteristics of micro-objects, as well as the microstructure of macro-objects, are determined.

The history of the creation of the microscope as a whole took a lot of time. Gradually, the development of optical technologies led to the emergence of better lenses and more precise holding devices.

By the end of the 20th century, optical microscopes had reached the pinnacle of their development. The next stage was the advent of digital microscopes, in which the lens was replaced by a digital camera.

Actually, the main difference between a digital microscope and a conventional one is the absence of an eyepiece through which the object is observed by the human eye. Instead, a digital camera is installed, firstly, it does not produce distortions (the number of lenses is reduced), and secondly, color rendition is improved, and the images are obtained in digital form, which allows for additional post-processing, as well as storing huge amounts of photographs on just one hard drive.

magnifying device microscope biology

The Digital Blue QX5 digital microscope is designed for use in school environments. It is equipped with a visual-to-digital information converter, which ensures real-time transmission of images of a micro-object and micro-process to a computer, as well as their storage, including in the form of digital video recording. The microscope has a simple structure, a USB interface, and two-level illumination. It came with software with a simple and intuitive interface.

With modest, from a modern point of view, system requirements it allows:

Magnify the studied objects placed on the stage by 10, 60 and 200 times (the transition is made by turning the blue drum)

Use both transparent and opaque objects, both fixed and unfixed

Examine the surfaces of fairly large objects that do not fit directly on the stage

Take photographs and also videotape what is happening by pressing the appropriate button inside the program interface

Record what you observe without worrying about its safety at this moment - the files automatically end up on your computer’s hard drive.

Set shooting parameters by changing the frame rate - from 4 frames per second to 1 per hour

Make simple changes to the resulting photographs without leaving the microscope program: apply signatures and indexes, copy parts of the image, and so on.

Export results for use in other programs:

graphic files are in *.jpg or *.bmp formats, and video files are in *.avi format

Collect demonstration collections called “strip films” from the results of photo and video shooting (the program memory can simultaneously store 4 sequences, including up to 50 objects each). Subsequently, a selection of frames that are temporarily unused can be safely disassembled, since the graphic files remain on the computer’s hard drive

Print the resulting graphic file in three different modes:

9 reduced images on an A4 sheet, a whole A4 sheet, an enlarged image divided into 4 A4 sheets

Demonstrate the objects under study and all actions performed with them on the monitor personal computer and/or on the projection screen if a multimedia projector is connected to the computer

What does a digital microscope give to teachers and students in relation to biology lessons?

One of the biggest difficulties facing a biology teacher when conducting laboratory work with a traditional microscope, it is virtually impossible to understand what his students are actually seeing. How many times do the guys call for something completely wrong - in the field of vision is either the edge of the drug, or an air bubble, or a crack...

It is good if there is a permanent laboratory assistant or trained public assistants to carry out such work required by the program. And if you are alone - for 25 people and 15 microscopes? And the microscope standing in the middle of the desk (one for two!) cannot be moved - otherwise all the light and sharpness settings will be lost, and the results of the work (as well as time and interest) will be lost.

The same classes are much easier and more effective if laboratory work is preceded by an introductory briefing conducted using a digital microscope.

In this case, the actions with the drug that are actually performed and simultaneously demonstrated through the projector and the resulting image are the best helpers.

They clearly present to the student the correct course of action and the expected result. Image sharpness in the computer version of the microscope is achieved by turning the screws.

It is also important that you can indicate and sign parts of the drug by putting together a slide show from these frames.

This can be done both immediately during the lesson and in the process of preparing for it.

After this introductory training, laboratory work using traditional optical microscopes becomes easier and more efficient.

If you do not have magnifying glasses, then this microscope can be used as a binocular (10x or 60x magnification). The objects of study are flower parts, leaf surfaces, root hairs, seeds or seedlings. And mold - even mucor or penicillium? For arthropods, these are all their interesting parts: legs, antennae, mouthparts, eyes, integument (for example, butterfly wing scales). For chordates - fish scales, bird feathers, wool, teeth, hair, nails, and much, much more. This is not a complete list.

It is also important that many of these objects, after research organized using a digital microscope, will remain alive: insects - adults or their larvae, spiders, mollusks, worms can be observed by placing them in special Petri dishes (there are two of them in the set with each microscope + tweezers, pipette, 2 jars with lids for collecting material). And any indoor plant, brought in a pot at a distance of about 2 meters to the computer, easily becomes an object of observation and research, without losing a single leaf or flower. This is possible due to the fact that the top part of the microscope is removable, and when brought to an object it works like a webcam, giving 10x magnification. The only inconvenience is that focusing is done only by tilting and zooming in and out.

But, having caught the desired angle, you can easily take a photograph without reaching for the computer - right on the part of the microscope in your hands, there is the necessary button: press once - you get a photo, press and hold - a video is taken.

The quality of graphic files obtained using a digital microscope

A school course in biology can be made much more interesting and better remembered if you use visual demonstration materials. What is biology? This is the science of living nature and the world around us as a whole. Consequently, this is a huge area for research, because you can study the structure and functions of various cells, tissues, organs and the whole organism, the chemical structure of cells, the transmission of hereditary information, cell reproduction and division, etc. And it’s one thing to receive all this knowledge from textbooks, and quite another thing to see something with your own eyes through a microscope.

For schoolchildren best choice microscope will be models, or. They are easy to use, do not require special knowledge and skills, and are capable of providing sufficient magnification - from 40 to 640-800 times, which is quite enough for studying plant and animal cells, blood samples and much more.

In general, a microscope for a schoolchild should have the following characteristics:

• Glass optics. Without this characteristic, it will not be possible to obtain a high-quality image, especially at high magnifications.
• Top and bottom lighting. The top light is useful for working with opaque samples, and the bottom light, which is most often used, is needed for studying transparent, translucent and filmy samples.
• Lighting elements. It is better if it is LEDs or a halogen lamp. They generate very little heat on the work table, have a long service life and provide natural color rendering.
• Focusing. More serious models of microscopes have two types of focusing - coarse and fine. In practice, the child will mainly use coarse focusing on the object, so having only one type of sharpness adjustment is not an obstacle to fully studying the sample.
• Microscope body. It must be metal. This will ensure structural strength and long service life of the microscope.
• Microscope power supply. It is convenient when a microscope can be used not only at home, but also in the field. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the power supplies of the microscope. Quite often there are two types of them - from AC mains and from batteries.

Microscope for the Biology course at home.

Let us give an example of the simplest use of a microscope at home for biological purposes. The first thing schoolchildren begin to learn about in botany lessons is the structure of plants. The main component of all plants is the cell, which schoolchildren often study using the example of onions.

Usually two preparations are prepared - colored and uncolored. To do this, you need to detach one fleshy scale from the onion and remove the skin from its inner side. This peel is placed on a glass slide, 1-2 drops of water are applied on top and the sample is covered with a coverslip. Excess water is removed using filter paper.

The colored preparation is prepared in a similar way, but instead of pure water, a mixture of iodine and water is applied to the slide. The iodine solution penetrates deep into the cell and makes the transparent structures of the onion accessible for study.

Next, both drugs are studied at different magnifications, but the best will be medium and high magnification. In an unstained preparation, only the external structure of the cell, its walls, can be seen, while the internal structures remain invisible. In the stained preparation, on the contrary, one can see the internal structure of the cell - the cytoplasm, which has acquired a light brown tint, a large nucleus and a red nucleolus floating in it. At the highest magnification, intercellular pores become noticeable - narrow corridors for uniform distribution of water and nutrients between cells.

Also, at the highest magnification, you can notice that the cytoplasm in the cells is actually located at the edges of the cell membrane, and the central part of the cell remains transparent (the iodine solution did not penetrate into it) and is separated by partitions. The space between the partitions is called a vacuole, where nutrients and water necessary for plant growth are stored. And the cytoplasm itself does not look homogeneous at high magnification. Its structure has a granularity, which is ensured by the organelles it contains. It is thanks to them that onion skin cells have a peculiar pattern under microscopy.

What else can you learn with a regular bow? For example, plasmolysis and deplasmolysis, two interrelated processes. Plasmolysis is the process of separating the cytoplasm from the cell wall and “shrinking” the cell itself. Deplasmolysis is the reverse process when the cells are restored to their previous shape and elasticity. In fact, such an experience can clearly show a child how a cell dies from dehydration and is restored. However, not all cells have reversible plasmolysis. It is possible only in cells with a dense cell wall, for example, in plants, fungi, and large bacteria. But the walls of animal cells do not have the necessary density, so when a large amount of fluid is lost, they shrink, and some of them die

To conduct an experiment with plasmolysis and deplasmolysis, you need to prepare an uncolored preparation from onion skin, the same as for studying the structure of a plant cell. However, instead of plain water, a saline solution is applied to the slide. To restore the shape of the cell, you need to drop a few drops of tea - black, green or herbal - under the cover glass. All of them are similar in their characteristics to a hypotonic solution, which is occasionally used for medical purposes. It contains a small amount of salts, so it penetrates inside the cell more easily and restores its shape.

You can study a huge number of drugs under a microscope, and the best part is that you can prepare most of them yourself. It is very exciting to look at tomato, potato, pear cells, sand, spices, pollen, and insects through a microscope. In fact, whatever your heart desires can be placed on the microscope stage, the main thing is to choose the right lighting and the most suitable magnification. And everything else will come with experience!

Today it is difficult to imagine human scientific activity without a microscope. The microscope is widely used in most laboratories of medicine and biology, geology and materials science. The results obtained using a microscope are necessary when making an accurate diagnosis and monitoring the progress of treatment. Using a microscope, new drugs are developed and introduced, and scientific discoveries are made.

Microscope - (from the Greek mikros - small and skopeo - look), an optical device for obtaining an enlarged image of small objects and their details that are not visible to the naked eye. The human eye is capable of distinguishing details of an object that are separated from each other by at least 0.08 mm. Using a light microscope, you can see parts with a distance of up to 0.2 microns. An electron microscope allows you to obtain a resolution of up to 0.1-0.01 nm. The invention of the microscope, a device so important for all science, was primarily due to the influence of the development of optics. Some optical properties of curved surfaces were known to Euclid (300 BC) and Ptolemy (BC), but their magnifying ability did not find practical application. In this regard, the first glasses were invented by Salvinio degli Arleati in Italy only in 1285. In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci and Maurolico showed that small objects are best studied with a magnifying glass.

The first microscope was created only in 1595 by Zacharius Jansen (Z. Jansen). The invention involved Zacharius Jansen mounting two convex lenses inside a single tube, thereby laying the foundation for the creation of complex microscopes. Focusing on the object under study was achieved through a retractable tube. The microscope magnification ranged from 3 to 10 times. And it was a real breakthrough in the field of microscopy! He significantly improved each of his next microscopes.

During this period (XVI century), Danish, English and Italian research instruments gradually began their development, laying the foundation of modern microscopy. The rapid spread and improvement of microscopes began after Galileo (G. Galilei), improving the telescope he designed, began to use it as a kind of microscope (), changing the distance between the lens and the eyepiece.

Galileo's microscope year.

In 1625, a member of the Roman “Academy of the Vigilant” (“Akudemia dei lincei”) I. Faber proposed the term “microscope”. The first successes associated with the use of the microscope in scientific biological research were achieved by R. Hooke, who was the first to describe a plant cell (around 1665). In his book Micrographia, Hooke described the structure of a microscope.

In 1681, the Royal Society of London discussed this peculiar situation in detail at its meeting. The Dutchman A. van Leenwenhoek described amazing miracles that he discovered with his microscope in a drop of water, in an infusion of pepper, in the mud of a river, in the hollow of his own tooth. Leeuwenhoek, using a microscope, discovered and sketched spermatozoa of various protozoa and details of the structure of bone tissue ().

The best Leeuwenhoek magnifying glasses were magnified 270 times. With them, he saw for the first time blood cells, the movement of blood in the capillary vessels of the tadpole's tail, and the striping of muscles. He discovered ciliates. He plunged for the first time into the world of microscopic single-celled algae, where the border between animal and plant lies; where is the moving animal like green plant, has chlorophyll and feeds by absorbing light; where the plant, still attached to the substrate, has lost chlorophyll and ingests bacteria. Finally, he even saw bacteria in great diversity. But, of course, at that time there was still no remote possibility of understanding either the significance of bacteria for humans, or the meaning of the green substance - chlorophyll, or the boundary between plant and animal.

In 1668, E. Diviney, by attaching a field lens to the eyepiece, created a modern type eyepiece. In 1673, Havelius introduced a micrometer screw, and Hertel proposed placing a mirror under the microscope table. Thus, the microscope began to be mounted from those basic parts that are part of a modern biological microscope.

In 1824, the enormous success of the microscope was achieved by Sallig's simple practical idea, reproduced by the French company Chevalier. The lens, which previously consisted of a single lens, was divided into parts; it began to be made from many achromatic lenses. Thus, the number of parameters was multiplied, the possibility of correcting system errors was given, and for the first time it became possible to talk about real large magnifications - 500 and even 1000 times. The limit of ultimate vision has moved from two to one micron. Leeuwenhoek's microscope was left far behind. In the 70s of the 19th century, the victorious march of microscopy moved forward. The speaker was E. Abbe.

The following was achieved: First, the maximum resolution moved from half a micron to one tenth of a micron. Secondly, in the construction of the microscope, instead of crude empiricism, a high level of science was introduced. Thirdly, finally, the limits of what is possible with a microscope are shown, and these limits are conquered.

The main parts of a light microscope (Fig. 1) are the lens and the eyepiece, enclosed in a cylindrical body - a tube. Most models intended for biological research are equipped with three lenses with different focal lengths and a rotating mechanism designed for quick change - a turret, often called a turret. The tube is located on the top of a massive tripod, which includes a tube holder. Just below the lens (or a turret with several lenses) there is a stage on which slides with the samples under study are mounted. Sharpness is adjusted using the coarse and fine adjustment screw, which allows you to change the position of the stage relative to the lens.

Optical microscopes Near-field optical microscope Confocal microscope Two-photon laser microscope Electron microscopes Transmission electron microscope Scanning electron microscope Scanning probe microscope Scanning atomic force microscope Scanning tunnel microscope X-ray microscopes Reflection X-ray microscopes Projection X-ray microscopes Laser X-ray microscope (XFEL) Differential interference contrast microscopes

Yu.O. SHEVYAKHOVA,
biology teacher, secondary school No. 110,
Moscow

Using a digital microscope in practical biology classes

Teaching natural sciences is unthinkable without the widespread use of various methods and means of teaching, because school disciplines such as chemistry, biology, physics must reveal to the child the secrets of living nature, and this is not so easy to do within the confines of a school classroom.

At the present stage of development of school education, the problem of using computer technologies in the classroom is becoming very important, because the school must prepare educated people who can easily and quickly navigate the world of information and think independently. Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine a modern specialist who does not master new information technologies.

Many schoolchildren have modern computers at home. Modern computer science classrooms are appearing in schools, biology classrooms are being equipped with digital microscopes and multimedia projectors, and new software products are being developed.

I think there is no need to remind colleagues that everything related to computer technology arouses great interest among students - this is especially noticeable against the backdrop of a general decline in cognitive interest. In this report, I discuss in detail the use of a digital microscope in practical classes and during demonstration experiments.

First, a few words about the advantages and disadvantages of working with a digital microscope.

First of all, I would like to note the ease of working with the microscope, combined with its great functionality.

The second advantage is the ability to demonstrate the results of experiments using a digital projector on a screen, i.e. when conducting an experiment or studying an object, all students in the class can simultaneously observe the result of the experiment or object and listen to comments from the teacher or one of their classmates. In addition, it becomes possible to conduct demonstrations and demonstration experiments if there is at least one small object. As a result, it is possible to embody one of the most important principles of studying natural sciences - the principle of clarity.

The third very important advantage is autonomous lighting, which makes it possible to work in both reflected and transmitted light, which significantly increases the list of objects for microscopy. In addition to ordinary microslides, students can also examine opaque objects.

The fifth advantage is the possibility of video recording to display intermediate stages of long-term experiments, when it is not possible to show transformations in real time, for example, the process of seed germination. It can also be used to demonstrate the movements of various objects, such as earthworms and shellfish (we all know that these topics are studied in winter).

The sixth advantage is the ease of captioning pictures. This is convenient to use during practical exercises with a large number of experiments or with objects that have a complex structure. For example, when performing such work as “External and internal structure of a shoot”, “External structure of an insect”.

External (a) and internal (b) structure of the shoot

The seventh advantage is the ability to work in manual mode.

As you can see, there are many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages. These include:

the need for the school to have a certain technical base: computers, preferably a digital projector, printer;

small selection of magnifications and low resolution compared to light microscopes;

The lack of methodological support significantly increases the preparation time for the lesson.

It is beyond our power to correct the first two shortcomings, but I want to devote the rest of my report to solving the third problem.

Our school was lucky: firstly, we received 10 microscopes at once; secondly, we had the opportunity to place them in a computer lab and conduct practical work there as needed. If the situation in your school is similar, then you will inevitably face three problems:

choice practical work which can be carried out using a digital microscope;

preparation of instruction cards for work;

selection of objects for digital microscopy.

I have already done some of this work. Namely, a list of practical works using a digital microscope in botany lessons has been compiled, and the most convenient objects have been selected.

Instructional cards have been developed for each of these works. Each card consists of two parts:

– research (the order of actions that the student must perform while working is presented);
– processing of results (students are offered questions and tasks to formulate conclusions).

A report on the work done can be presented in several forms, which also depends on the technical equipment of the school.

First option: Students print out photographs with captions of objects, paste them into a laboratory journal, and answer questions for the conclusion.

Second option: the children save the results of their work on the computer in their personal folder, and the teacher checks the correctness of the signatures and answers to questions for the next lesson.

Third option(combined): conclusions are submitted in written form, and drawings are saved on a computer.

IN this moment Instructional cards for the zoology and anatomy course are under development.

But even if only the teacher’s seat is equipped with a digital microscope, then this is enough to carry out high-quality and complete work.

We can conduct all kinds of demonstrations in the classroom if we have one small natural object on the topic of the lesson (for example, a butterfly wing), but do not have time to conduct laboratory work to study it. When conducting group work in a lesson, you can assign a task to work with a microscope to one of the groups. The whole class can then see the result of the work during a discussion of the lesson results.

In addition, you can combine demonstration of a digital microscope object with individual student work with light microscopes. This technique can be used, for example, when performing such works as “Structure of a fern leaf”, “Structure of molds”, “Cells of tomato pulp”. With this lesson organization, students can compare the results of their work with the results of the work carried out by the teacher.

Such methods of work develop independence, critical thinking, and observation in students, and also allow them to save time spent by the teacher on individual comments and consultations that have to be given to each pair of students during practical work using standard methods. This is especially true when carrying out the very first practical work.

Photographs taken in advance by students or the teacher can be used in preparing presentations to accompany explanations or questioning.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the use of a variety of information technologies in biology lessons makes it possible to more effectively organize the activities of the teacher and students; improve the quality of training; bring to life the principle of clarity, which is so important in the study of natural sciences; information technologies in the classroom it gives the opportunity to show students that a computer can be not only a typewriter or a game console, but, first of all, a complex intellectual system for obtaining knowledge.

But, of course, working with a digital microscope or various software products currently available on the educational market should in no way replace classical techniques for working with natural objects, herbariums, and light microscopes.

We need to understand that this is just one of the methodological techniques that allows us to diversify the lesson.

Beketova N.F.

Place of work:teacher of the highest category MBOU YASOSH

Theme "Master class"
Using a digital microscope in biology lessons

Target:

Introduce master class participants to the possibilities of using a digital microscope in biology lessons

Tasks:

Learn how a digital microscope works.

Learn the rules of working with a microscope.

Reflection on your activities

Equipment: microscope, digital microscope, microlaboratory, onion, Mukor mushroom, Bacteria culture

Work plan:
Stage 1 (theoretical)

Stage 2 (practical)

Equipment: microscope, digital microscope, microlaboratory, onion, Mukor mushroom, Bacteria culture
Stage 3

Stage 4

digital microscope allows the teacher

Beginning of the XXI century takes place under the sign of modernization of school education.

New pedagogical technologies, methods, and textbooks are appearing.
Improving the means and methods of teaching biology should focus on the development of cognitive activity and creative thinking of students, developing the ability to apply knowledge in practice. To significantly improve the organization of learning, it is necessary to pay attention to such forms of work that activate the work of students. Information technologies are increasingly being introduced into the educational process.

Now computers with projection devices and interactive whiteboards have appeared in many school classrooms. Many biology lessons are taught using computer technology

Innovative information and communication tools for teaching in biology lessons include a digital microscope.

A digital microscope combines a light microscope and a color digital camera, the optical axis of which coincides with the optical axis of the microscope. A light microscope can be used without a camera, which is installed in place of the eyepiece after adjusting the image. The camera is connected to a computer's USB port.

What can you do with a digital microscope?

Make observations from the monitor screen,

Transmit observation results over distances,

Edit images and conduct video recording of vital processes.

Print the resulting graphic file in three different modes:
9 reduced images on an A4 sheet, a whole A4 sheet, an enlarged image divided into 4 A4 sheets

It must be said that working with a microscope is one of the most favorite activities among students of all ages. Using a digital microscope makes it even brighter, more memorable, and the teacher himself enjoys such work.

One of the biggest challenges for a biology teacher when conducting laboratory work with a traditional microscope is the virtually impossible ability to understand what his students are actually seeing. How many times do the guys call for something completely wrong - in the field of view is either the edge of the drug, or an air bubble, or a crack...

In this case, the actions with the drug that are actually performed and simultaneously demonstrated through the projector and the resulting image are the best helpers.
They clearly present to the student the correct course of action and the expected result. Image sharpness in the computer version of the microscope is achieved by turning the screws.
When conducting laboratory work in class, a digital microscope provides significant assistance. It allows you to:

study the object under study not for one student, but for a group of students at the same time, since the information is displayed on a computer monitor;

use pictures of objects as demonstration tables to explain a topic or when questioning students;

study an object in dynamics;

create presentation photos and videos on the topic being studied;

use images of objects on

paper media.

activates students’ work in the classroom Contributes to the development of students’ cognitive, informational and research competencies

Increases the level of motivation of students, helps conduct practical and laboratory work individually, frontally and in groups

increases interest in search and research activities

helps improve student achievement.

It is also important that you can indicate and sign parts of the drug by putting together a slide show from these frames. This can be done both immediately during the lesson and in the process of preparing for it.

Work plan:
Conducting laboratory work (work in groups)

There are sheets of paper on the tables: Appendix No. 1 (Rules for working with a microscope"

Appendix No. 2 (instruction card for laboratory work)

Appendix No. 3 (self-assessment sheet)

Stage 1 (theoretical)
Presenting digital microscope experience in class (Appendix No. 4)

Stage 2 (practical)
Reflection of activity (discussion by participants of their activities as students and listeners) (Appendix No. 5 – listener feedback).

The use of a digital microscope in biology lessons allows you to increase interest in the subject, improve the quality of learning, reflect the essential aspects of biological objects, embodying the principle of clarity, and bring to the fore the most important (from the point of view of educational goals and objectives) characteristics of the studied objects and natural phenomena.

The material obtained using a digital microscope can be used both in the educational process and in extracurricular activities (club, elective course, elective course).