Final answer:
The type of light used to observe a specimen under a microscope can be either reflected or transmitted, with transmitted light being more common in student microscopes for viewing living organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of light being used to observe a specimen under a microscope can either be reflected or transmitted. Reflected light, used in high magnification illumination, bounces off the specimen and is common when using laser light sources.
Transmitted light passes through the specimen, as seen in techniques like brightfield microscopy or fluorescence microscopy. In fluorescence microscopy, an excitation light is sent toward the specimen, which then emits visible light to form an image.
For most light microscopy applications in student settings, which include observing living organisms, the transmitted light approach is typically used.