How to Visualize Cell Processes

Pick out a sufficient light microscope with a maximum wavelength of visible light of about 500 nm. This will allow you to see bacterial cell processes but not viral or atomic processes. Plug your microscope into outlet power and switch it to low power.

Prepare your slides. Cells of certain orders can be purchased, and these come already mounted on slides under cover slips for your to view. If you don't have any prepared slides, go into nature and make some. Place a small piece of grass or seaweed, ect., in the center of a slide, place a drop of water over the specimen, then place a cover slip square at the edge of the drop and let it fall onto the center of the slide.

Place a dye-like methylene blue onto the specimen to aid in seeing cellular processes. Place a drop of the dye on the edge of the slide, next to your cover slip, while holding the slip in place on the other edge with your finger. Allow the dye to seep under the other side of the cover slide and into your specimen.

Place the slide on the microscope stand, under the holding clips and directly over the light hole in the center. Close one eye and peer closely through the microscope lens. If you spot your specimen, you're ready to get closer; if not, lower your objective lens (over the slide) to its lowest level with its side knob, then raise the lens slowly until the specimen comes into view. Turn the course focus knob (usually on the microscope's bottom left) to focus the specimen.

Turn the microscope to high once you've honed in on the specimen. This typically raises the magnification from about 100X to 430X or more. Use the course focus knob only at this point to narrow in on specific cells and watch their processes.