The beginner compound microscope has a monocular viewing head with LED and mirror illumination, a built-in color-filter wheel, a forward-facing rotating turret with 100x, 600x, and 1200x magnification, and a white metal frame. The monocular viewing head has LED and mirror illumination and a built-in color-filter wheel for viewing a variety of specimen types. Coaxial coarse focus eases use for young users and has a rack-and-pinion focus mechanism for precise focusing. The plain stage has stage clips that secure the slide or specimen in place during viewing. The white metal frame is durable and stain-resistant. The microscope comes with a 52-piece accessory kit with brine shrimp eggs and hatchery, and a hard-sided plastic carrying case. The LED light is powered by two AA batteries (included).