immersion objective

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immersion objective An optical microscope objective in which the front surface of the lens is immersed in a liquid on the cover slip of the microscope specimen slide. Cedar-wood oil (for an oil-immersion lens) or sugar solution is frequently used. It has the same refractive index as the glass of the cover slip, so that the object is effectively immersed in it. The presence of the liquid increases the effective aperture of the objective, thus increasing the resolution.