What is a condenser on a microscope?
The condenser, located beneath the stage of the light microscope, is part of the optical train of the microscope. The principal function of the condenser is to gather the light from the microscope’s light source and direct the light onto the specimen within the field of view.Microscope Optical TrainThe optical train of the microscope begins with the light emitted by the lamp. The condenser focuses the light onto the specimen, which is then gathered by the objective lens. The image is then directed to the ocular lens followed by the observer’s eye.Microscope Light SourceMost light microscopes employ a lamp to provide illumination of the specimen. These lamps are often located in the base of the microscope.CondenserTwo lenses within the condenser, an internal lens element and a condenser top lens, gather and focus the light onto the specimen.
