How to Make a Wet-Mount Microscope Slide
- 1. Use a flat glass slide to prepare a wet mount. The slide should be clean and free of dust or other fine particles.
- 2. Water is fetched with a beaker from a freshwater pond or the source containing the specimen.
- 3. It is taken to the laboratory.
- 4. Draw the pond water into a pipette or eyedropper.
- 5. Release one drop of the pond water onto the center of the microscope slide.
- 6. Touch the edge of the slip cover to the edge of the droplet of pond water at about 45°. Slowly lower the cover slip over the droplet of pond water.
- 7. Press the cover slip gently to release any air bubbles.
- 8. Set the slide on the microscope stage. Set the microscope to the lowest magnification and view the slide through the viewfinder.
- 9. The procedure is repeated with many slides or many times until the specimen is observed.
Try This: Describe how to prepare a wet-mount slide of pond water
Things Needed
- Pipette
- Microscope
- Slide
- Coverslip
Answer
- Draw the pond water into a pipette or eyedropper.
- Release one drop of the pond water onto the center of the microscope slide.
- Touch the edge of the coverslip to the edge of the droplet of pond water at about a 45-degree angle.
- Slowly lower the coverslip over the droplet of pond water.
- Press the coverslip gently to release any air bubbles.
- Set the slide on the microscope stage. Set the microscope to the lowest magnification, and view the slide through the viewfinder.
- The procedure is repeated with many slides or many times until the specimen is observed.
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