prepare a wet mount of either an eyelash hair or an eyebrow hair. practice playing with all three light adjustment sources (intensity, condenser height, diaphragm opening) and notice how the color of the sample changes and the shading of the image changes.
look at the sample using scanning, low, and high power lenses
compare the color of your hair (black) sample to others in your group (brown)- how does it differ?
To prepare a wet mount of an eyelash hair or an eyebrow hair, follow these steps:
1. Start by cleaning a glass microscope slide and a cover slip with a lens cleaner or mild soap and water solution. Dry them thoroughly using a lint-free cloth or tissue.
2. Pluck an eyelash hair or an eyebrow hair using clean tweezers. Be careful not to damage or bend the hair.
3. Place a small drop of water in the center of the microscope slide. Make sure the drop is large enough to cover the hair.
4. Gently place the hair onto the water droplet on the slide. Try to avoid any air bubbles.
5. Carefully place the cover slip over the hair and water droplet, making sure it is centered. The water should spread out and fill the gap between the slide and the cover slip.
Now that the wet mount is prepared, you can begin examining the sample under a microscope. Follow these steps to observe the changes in color and shading using different light adjustment sources:
1. Start with the scanning lens (4x objective). Focus the microscope on the hair sample using coarse and fine focus knobs.
2. Adjust the intensity of light by using the light source control. Notice how higher or lower intensity affects the brightness of the sample. The color may appear more vibrant or faded based on the intensity.
3. Adjust the condenser height using the condenser adjustment knob, typically located beneath the stage. Raising or lowering the condenser will alter the amount of light reaching the sample. Observe how the shading of the image changes when the condenser height is adjusted.
4. Adjust the diaphragm opening using the diaphragm control, usually located on the base of the microscope. Opening or closing the diaphragm adjusts the amount of light passing through the sample. Notice how the color and shading of the sample vary with different diaphragm openings.
After observing the sample using the scanning lens, switch to the low power lens (10x objective) and then the high power lens (40x or 100x objective) to observe the hair sample more closely. Repeat the adjustments in light intensity, condenser height, and diaphragm opening for each lens.
In terms of comparing the color of your hair (black) sample to others in your group (brown), you may notice that the differ in terms of shade and undertones. While black hair appears more intensely dark, brown hair may have varying shades of lightness or darkness, with the presence of different pigments.