Upright Microscope
In an upright microscope, the source of transmitted light and the condenser are located below the stage, pointing up. The objectives are placed on top of the stage, pointing down. The specimen is observed from the top through the lid of a petri dish or a coverslip. In some systems, the objective lens is dipped into the culture medium without any coverslip.
Inverted Microscope
An inverted microscope is a microscope with its light source and condenser on the top, above the stage pointing down, while the objectives and turret are below the stage pointing up. The stage of an inverted microscope is usually fixed, and focus is adjusted by moving the objective lens along a vertical axis to bring it closer to or further from the specimen.
Stereomicroscope
The stereo, stereoscopic or dissecting microscope is an optical microscope variant designed for low magnification observation of a specimen, typically using light reflected from the surface of an object rather than transmitted through it. The instrument uses two separate optical paths with two objectives and eyepieces to provide slightly different viewing angles to the left and right eyes. This arrangement produces a three-dimensional visualization of the specimen being examined.
