Editing Microscope slide (section)

{{short description|Thin, flat piece of glass onto which a sample is placed to be examined under a microscope}}
{{redirect|Glass slide|text=The term may also refer to [[photographic slide]]s}}
[[File:MicroscopeSlides.jpg|thumb|A set of standard 75 by 25 mm microscope slides. The white area can be written on to label the slide.]]
[[Image:Fedolemez.jpg|240px|right|thumb|A microscope slide (top) and a cover slip (bottom)]]

A '''microscope slide''' is a thin flat piece of [[glass]], typically 75 by 26&nbsp;mm (3 by 1 inches) and about 1&nbsp;mm thick, used to hold objects for examination under a [[microscope]].  Typically the object is [[#Mounting|mounted]] (secured) on the slide, and then both are inserted together in the microscope for viewing.  This arrangement allows several slide-mounted objects to be quickly inserted and removed from the microscope, labeled, transported, and stored in appropriate slide cases or folders etc.

Microscope slides are often used together with a cover slip or cover glass, a smaller and thinner sheet of glass that is placed over the specimen.  Slides are held in place on the microscope's stage by slide clips, slide clamps or a cross-table which is used to achieve precise, remote movement of the slide upon the microscope's stage (such as in an automated/computer operated system, or where touching the slide with fingers is inappropriate either due to the risk of [[contamination]] or lack of precision).