The magnification of an image obtained with a microscope is usually expressed by:
– indicating the final magnification its legend, that is, numerically how many times the image was enlarged.
– or a small bar drawn on the image. Its length is used as a reference to be compared with the size of objects in the image. Observe the bar in the figure.
In this site a simplified way to indicate magnifications was adopted: small, medium and large, which we deem to be sufficient for its didactic purposes. More details on the magnifications can be found in the Technical Data that can be reached trough the main menu at the top of each page.
A practical and simple way to reasonably assess the size of structures of microscopical images: a red blood cell or a small lymphocyte have a diameter of about 7 micrometers. Similarly, the diameters of nuclei of a large number of cells measure 7 to 10 micrometers. Observing the size of a red blood cell, a small lymphocyte or a nucleus, it is possible to estimate the measurements in images obtained with a microscope.
Liver. Staining: hematoxylin and eosin. Medium magnification.