Monocot vs dicot stem: corn and sunflower under the microscope
Zea maysHelianthus annuus
Fast Green stain 5 questions answered
Compare real corn (monocot) and sunflower (dicot) stem cross sections under the microscope: scattered vs ringed vascular bundles, pith, and cortex.
Frog vs human blood under the microscope, plus chicken and fish
Rana temporariaHomo sapiensGallus gallus domesticusCyprinus carpio
Giemsa Wright-Giemsa stains 4 questions answered
Compare real frog, human, chicken, and fish blood smears under the microscope: which red blood cells have a nucleus, how big they are, and why.
Virtual microscope vs microscope simulator vs digital microscope
4 questions answered
How a virtual microscope, a microscope simulator, and a digital microscope differ: what students see, the hardware it takes, and which fits your class.
How to use a microscope on a Chromebook
4 questions answered
Two ways to use a microscope on a Chromebook: plug in a USB microscope, or open a virtual microscope in the browser. Setup, limits, and classroom tips.
Onion root tip mitosis: how to find and identify each stage under the microscope
Allium cepaZea mays
Iron Hematoxylin Safranin stains 6 questions answered
Find interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase on a real onion root tip slide, with a mitotic index count and a corn root tip comparison.
Cheek cells vs onion cells under the microscope
Homo sapiensAllium cepa
Eosin Fast Green stains 6 questions answered
Compare cheek cells and onion cells under the microscope: cell wall, nucleus, vacuole, chloroplasts and stain, with labeled real slides.
Leaf cross section and stomata under the microscope, labeled
Helianthus annuusGossypium hirsutumVicia fabaTradescantia reflexa
Safranin Fast Green stains 6 questions answered
Learn the layers of a leaf cross section, then see stomata and guard cells face-on, using real prepared slides you can zoom and measure online.
Pond water organisms under the microscope: an identification guide
ParameciumEuglenaSpirogyraDaphnia
Fast Green Carmine stains 6 questions answered
Identify pond water organisms under the microscope: paramecium, euglena, spirogyra, daphnia and more, with a chart and labeled prepared slides.
How to read a histology slide and identify the tissue types
Homo sapiens
Eosin H&E Iron hematoxylin stains 6 questions answered
A step-by-step method for reading histology slides and telling epithelial, connective, and muscle tissue apart, with real slides to zoom into.
How to measure the size of a cell under a microscope
Homo sapiensAllium cepaRana temporaria
Eosin Fast Green Wright-Giemsa Giemsa stains 6 questions answered
Measure cell size under a microscope: find the field of view, scale it, divide by the cells across. A worked example, plus measuring on a calibrated slide.
Pollen under the microscope: lily, pine and luffa pollen compared
LiliumLuffa aegyptiacaPinus
Safranin Fast Green stains 4 questions answered
Compare real lily, luffa and pine pollen under the microscope: grain shape, furrows and pores, air sacs, and where pollen is made in anthers and cones.
Types of insect mouthparts under the microscope: chewing, piercing, sponging and lapping
Periplaneta americanaCulexMusca domesticaApis mellifera
Unstained 4 questions answered
Chewing, piercing-sucking, sponging and lapping insect mouthparts on real slides: cockroach, mosquito, house fly and honeybee, plus male vs female.
Acoelomate, pseudocoelomate and coelomate: planaria, Ascaris and earthworm cross sections
DugesiaAscaris lumbricoidesLumbricus terrestris
H&E stain 4 questions answered
Compare real planaria, Ascaris and earthworm cross sections to see the three body plans: no body cavity, a pseudocoelom, and a true coelom.
Microscope Guides for Science Teachers
How-to guides and side-by-side comparisons on real microscope slides: mitosis, plant vs animal cells, leaves, pollen, pond life, insects, worms, tissues, and measuring cells. Every comparison uses real prepared slides from the StudyScope catalog, shown at the same scale.
Looking for a specific specimen? Every slide in the slide catalog has its own page with a guide to what to look for.
