A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and using a virtual microscope slide data structure having data for an overall image of the specimen or a substantial portion thereof along with data for higher magnification images of selected areas within the overall image and along with data useable for correlating, linking and/or coherently assembling low magnification, overall image segments with the higher image segments. This latter data may comprise a control program for manipulating images to allow zooming different, higher magnification images into view, scrolling adjacent high magnification images into view or marking the location of a displayed higher magnification view on the overall image to assist in navigation by a viewer to locate and quickly display suspicious areas within the specimen. The data structure may be sent over the Internet.