What is the difference between parfocal and parcentric? How do the parfocal and parcentric properties of the compound light microscope affect its use? Parfocal and Parcentric Properties of the Compound Light Microscope

Parfocal & Parcentric Properties of the Compound Light Microscope

A compound microscope is a valuable tool for scientific research and discovery. There are two main properties to the compound microscope: parfocal, and parcentric. Researchers and scientists can benefit from the advantages of using the microscope by learning the difference between them and understanding how they impact the way it works. Parfocal properties of compound light microscopes refer to their ability to keep focus even when changing between objective lenses. This allows you to view samples at various magnifications and without needing to adjust the focus knob. This is the parcentric property of a microscope. It can focus light rays from its objective lens to exactly one point on the specimen. This gives the microscope a clearer and sharper picture of the sample. Researchers and scientists have the benefit of the parfocal, parcentric characteristics of the compound microscope. This makes it easier to use. These properties could cause much of the sample detail to be lost and limit the utility of the microscope. Buchholz and colleagues conducted a study that found this to be true. In 2017, it was “essential for measuring the accuracy of compounds with compound microscopes by having parfocal or parcentric performance” (p. 308. Cont…