Use of Darkfield Illumination

• Microscope with dark-field stop
• Suspension of Amoeba proteus
• Transfer pipette
• Slides and coverslips.

1. Make a simple wet mount of the amoeba by placing a drop of the culture on a slide and placing a cover slip on the slide.
2. Observe and measure the amoeba using normal bright field optics.
3. Place a dark field stop in the filter holder below the microscope’s substage condenser and continue to monitor the movements of the amoeba.
4. Note the differences in observable structure possible with dark-field microscopy when compared to bright field. Draw and label the amoeba viewed in both ways.