“These microscopes typically have top lights, but can from time to time have bottom lights also. They’re characterized by their large, flat stages meant to hold the sample that is being dissected, and generally have little else below.”
What differs a dissecting microscope from a stereo microscope?
A dissecting microscope (or dissection microscope) is something used to work under, rather than simply inspect. Typically, a dissection involves taking a sample and pinning it down to a table or base (or placing the pinning table directly onto the stage of the microscope). Because of this need, the most typical distinction of a dissection microscope is a large, flat base.
Usually, dissection microscopes have only top lights on them, as the samples are going to be thick and opaque, and if performing a dissection, the user must be able to see into the sample he or she is cutting into. This is critical to ensure accuracy and to avoid damaging components of interest in a dissection.
All microscopes have a flat base in one way or another, as they have to have that in order to easily focus on a sample. So what’s special about a dissecting microscope?
Flat bases are critical, yes, but size matters here as well. If a base is flat but small, a sample may hang over the edges, making a mess. Or, not sit flat at all at the area of interest, which makes the work extremely difficult and possibly dangerous. So remember, the base has to be not only flat, but also large.
For visual learners, here is an example of a microscope I would consider a “dissection” microscope (and a recommendation if you just need a basic one!)
AmScope’s SM-1TZ-FRL-M
This is, in my mind, the ideal basic dissecting stereo microscope.
Almost any size sample will fit onto the stage, which is of steel design (so easy to keep clean and sanitary), a nice bright top light with expandability into brighter sources of other kinds if needed, and a camera for recording/streaming dissections–perfect for teaching students later, keeping the cost for samples low.
You can see more pictures or get information on purchasing from here: SM-1TZ-FRL-M