Final answer:
The flat surface on a microscope where the slide is placed for viewing is known as the stage, a platform designed to hold and position the specimen for observation. Staining techniques may be used to enhance contrast, and the field of view varies depending on the eyepiece and objective lens used.
Step-by-step explanation:
The flat surface of a microscope that holds the slide for viewing is called the stage. It is a platform that securely holds the specimen in place over the light source. When viewing microscopic samples such as cell structures, the glass slide containing the specimen is clipped onto the stage. Once the slide is secured, its position can be adjusted with the x-y mechanical stage knobs which move the slide but do not alter the stage's height. The image is focused by altering the distance between the stage and the objective lenses, using both the coarse and fine focusing knobs, the former for larger adjustments with lower magnification lenses, and the latter for precision focusing with high magnification lenses.
Light microscopes are typically used in labs and offer the capability to view living organisms due to their visible light-based imaging system. These types of microscopes enable users to identify cell structures, especially when paired with staining techniques to enhance contrast. The field of view is the observable area through the microscope's eyepiece, dependent on the combination of eyepiece and objective lens in use. In more advanced microscopes, such as scanning microscopes, electronic scanning is employed to visualize larger sample areas by combining images captured during the scan.