3. What to do after the lab?

After the lab, analyze your images with ImageJ. Set their scale using the image(s) of the calibration slide you acquired (as explained in Tutorial 2). Then spend some time measuring the overall dimensions and size of the internal features of the objects you imaged. Do these measurements make sense and are they what you expect? Do you get the same results when using different objectives to image the same object?

When you are done, write a short lab report describing and discussing the results of your experiments (read the introduction to the lab manual for tips on how to write this report). Remember that what is important is not so much how many images you have acquired during the lab or even their quality, but rather how well you present those images (putting them in context, explaining how they were acquired, adding a scale and a caption), and what you are able to make of them (in terms of identifying their features, using ImageJ to determine their size, and comparing the size of these features to the theoretical resolution of the microscope).

Your introduction should provide some context (for example about microscopy and/or the sample you have chosen). Your theory section should introduce important concepts and any equations your will be using to analyze or explain your data. Your method section should provide key informations about the microscope you used and a brief description of your alignment and image acquisition procedure. Your result section should contain numbered figures with captions presenting relevant images, and describe any analysis you have done. Your discussion should contain a calculation of the expected resolution of your images and a comparison to their actual resolution.