alleryStart learning →Why does a compound microscope present an inverted image of the specimen?
AOne curved mirror reflects the light
BStains absorb part of the light
CThe slide holder rotates the sample
DTwo sets of lenses bend the light
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Two sets of lenses bend the light
1. A compound microscope magnifies with two sets of lenses rather than one.
2. Light travelling through that pair of lens systems emerges inverted.
3. Inversion is therefore an optical consequence of the lens arrangement, not of the stain or the stage.
4. Staining changes contrast, not orientation, so it cannot be the cause.
5. Two sets of lenses bending the light is what inverts the image.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Cell Structure", section 4.1 Studying Cells_
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