The ability of the microscope to separate small details is defined as which term?

• A. Contrast
• B. Magnification
• C. Resolution
• D. Brightness

Answer: (C)

The ability to separate small details is called resolution. Resolution is about how close two points can be and still be seen as distinct points in the image. If two objects are closer together than the microscope’s resolution limit, they blur into one, and you can’t distinguish them as separate structures.

What determines resolution? Two main factors: the wavelength of the illuminating light and the numerical aperture of the objective lens. Shorter wavelengths and higher numerical aperture improve resolving power, allowing finer detail to be seen. In light microscopy, using oil immersion objectives increases numerical aperture and thus enhances resolution.

Magnification, on the other hand, just makes the image bigger; it does not improve the ability to resolve details. You can have high magnification with poor resolution, resulting in a bigger, blurry image. Brightness and contrast affect how easily you can view structures, but they do not set the smallest resolvable distance—that’s what resolution defines.