Microscopes have always been the go to tool
whenever we wanted to see the microscopic world
around us, its the little things in life that make us
wonder how this big blue world of ours came
to be, Microscopes are an important scientific
instrument that enables the user to see objects
too small for the naked eye. Microscopy is a
branch of microscopy which deals with studying
minute structures on different types of materials
by means of their magnifying properties.
microscopes allow us guess if not fully answer
that question. In this post we take a good look
through lenses into the world of microscopes. how
they work and some interesting facts about them!

What are Microscopes


Microscopes are instruments that arevuse to see
things to small for the human eye. The term
microscopy is the science of studying things small
objects with instruments such as a microscope.
Microscopes are used in many different fields of
science. The word microscope is derived from the
Greek words ‘mikros’ meaning small, and ‘skopein’
meaning to look at. Microscopic means invisible to
the eye unless aided by a microscope. One
example of a microscope is the stereo microscope
which aids scientists to view three-dimensional
objects more clearly by using two lenses side
by side. The lenses are connected to a tube whichhas the eyepiece at one end and an image-forming lens
at its other end. This microscope is beneficial for viewing objects that have high magnification power such
as small insects, plants etc. Microscopes help in medical diagnosis of disease by examining cells under a
microscope. It can identify certain bacteria, parasites, fungi and looks for cancerous cells in the body.
Microscopes are also used to study geological specimens such as rocks or crystals under a microscope to
identify minerals. It is also helpful when studying microorganisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye
like when studying microorganisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye like certain bacteria, protozoa
etc. Microscope can help in identifying different types of diseases, parasites and chemicals when studying
microorganisms. Microscopes are important for many different fields of science like in the study of plant
biology, zoology etc.
How Do Microscopes Work?

A microscope consists of a large tube that is
usually around 30 cm long. At the end there are
two eyepieces where both eyes can be placed to
look through it. There’s also an adjustable dial
which allows the user to change the focus and
brightness of what they’re looking at. At one end,
near the light source, there is a mirror or lens that
allows the user to focus on their object. The light
source for microscopes are usually halogen lamps,

mercury-vapor arcs and tungsten filament bulbs depending on what type of microscope they’re using.
There’s also an adjustable stage where the specimen can be placed in order to see it clearly. At the other
end there is a diaphragm that can control the amount of light reaching the objective lens. The eyepiece
tube holds one or more lenses, depending on what type of microscope it is.
How Do Microscopes Produce Magnified Images?

The objective lens of a microscope is at the bottom and has to be below or on top of your specimen. It
collects light from the object you’re examining which then passes through it, where it now magnifies
what’s in front of it. This image can then be seen using another set of lenses that is closer to the eye
called ‘eyepiece’. The eyepiece magnifies the image even more and gives you a clear view of what your
specimen looks like. However, there is only one way to get the correct magnification power which means
image can also be adjusted using a knob depending on how much light you want to view. Microscopes are
instruments that help us see things under a very high magnification power which would be impossible if
we were using our bare eyes. Without microscopes, studying certain specimens can be almost impossible
because they’re either too small or their numbers are so great it’s hard to count them with the naked eye
alone.
How do microscopes use refraction?

Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that travels in waves. When light hits an object it can either get
reflected back, absorbed by the material or transmitted inside which then changes its direction and
properties depending on what kind of material it’s going into. This change in direction also causes
refraction to take place because different materials have different densities and different indexes of
refraction. This is why when light travels through different substances it changes direction and properties
accordingly to the laws of optics which are governed by Snell’s law, also known as ‘Snell-Descartes Law’.
This law states that there’s a direct relationship between the angle at which something enters into
another medium and its sines. Microscopes use refraction to magnify the specimen they’re examining by
passing light through it and then projecting that image into either an eyepiece or a screen for you to be
able to see it clearly under high magnification power. Without microscopes, studying certain specimens can
be almost impossible because they’re either too small or their numbers are so great it’s hard to count
them with the naked eye alone.
Can Microscopes Hurt Your Eyes?

Some microscopes use very high magnification power which can hurt your eyes if you’re not careful. When
using a microscope, make sure that the lens is clean to begin with and focus it properly on what you want
to see without straining yourself by viewing it for too long at once. Using microscopes often may cause eye
strain but this will only happen if you’re not using it properly. If your eyes are hurting when viewing
something under high magnification power then stop and take a break from looking through the eyepiece
for at least five minutes before continuing with what you were doing.
Where Are Microscopes Used?


Microscopes are used in many different fields of
science such as biology, zoology and even medical
diagnosis. They play a very important role in the
research community because they allow scientists
to study objects that cannot be seen with the
naked eye like cells, bacteria etc. They’re also
beneficial for examining various types of
rocks and minerals under a microscope.
Microscopes are also used in the medical field for
studying diseases by examining cells.
What Are People Capable Of Seeing While Using A Microscope?

A microscope allows us to see organisms too
small for the human eye. The smallest
microorganisms such as bacteria and protozoa
can be seen with a light microscope, while larger
viruses require an electron microscope.
Microscopes work by passing on light through
lenses that magnify any objects placed under
them which enables people to view things in
detail without coming in contact with them.

Can microscopes see atoms?
Atoms are too small to see with a normal
microscope. Atoms can only be seen using an
electron microscope which uses electrons in place
of light waves. Electrons have much shorter
wavelengths than visible light, so they allow us to
view objects smaller than the wavelength of
visible light. An atom is around 0.00000000001
meters (or one millionth of a millimeter). This is
too small to be seen with the human eye, which
can only see objects up to around 0.01 meters in
size. This is why atoms cannot be

seen with a light microscope, but can only be indirectly worked out from the effects they have on other
objects. Microscopes are not able to see an atom directly because of their size and lack of complex
structure. In order for us to observe something we must bounce some sort of radiation off it. This means
that atoms are too small to be observed. Instead, scientists can only look at the effects of atoms on other
objects, for example by seeing what happens when an atom is hit with a beam of electrons
or light particles.
Can Microscopes See Molecules?
Microscopes can’t directly see molecules; they
only show the effects of their presence. Molecules
are too small to be seen with a light microscope
or an electron microscope which is why scientists
need to use different methods like x-ray
crystallography and spectroscopy in order to
work out what Molecules are far too small to be
seen molecules look like. with a light microscope
or electron microscope. Scientists can only

view the effects of molecules, such as their interactions and reactions with other objects in order to find
out what they look like without seeing them directly. There are indirect ways that scientists use
microscopes to work out how molecules might appear by using methods like X-ray crystallography and
spectroscopy.
Can Microscopes See DNA?
An electron microscope can be used to see DNA
which is why scientists that work with proteins
and enzymes use them. It allows us to look at the
arrangement of atoms in a molecule like DNA, but
it’s not possible to make out any details about
the structure since an atomic force microscope
(AFM) cannot resolve single molecules; they are
simply too small. DNA is too small to be seen with
a light microscope, but can be viewed using an
electron microscope which allows scientists to see
the arrangement of atoms in molecules like
DNA. However it’s not possible for us to make out

any details about their structure since atomic force microscopes (AFM) cannot resolve single
molecules; they are simply too small. A light microscope cannot be used to see DNA, but an electron
microscope can and is often used by scientists who work with proteins or enzymes since it allows them to
look at the arrangement of atoms in a molecule like DNA without being able to make out any details about
its structure. This is because atomic force microscopes (AFM) cannot resolve single molecules; they are
simply too small.
Can Microscopes See Electrons?
Electrons can be viewed using an electron
microscope which is why they are used in many
experiments. Electron microscopes use electrons
instead of light waves to magnify objects and
allow us to see something that neither a normal
or scanning microscope would be able to view like
the interior structure of living cells. An electron
microscope uses electrons in place of light waves
to magnify objects and allow us to see something
that neither a normal or scanning microscope
would be able to view like the interior

structure of living cells. Electron microscopes use electrons in place of light waves, instead of visible light,
so we can see what things look like at much higher resolutions than with either a normal or scanning
microscope. This allows us to view the interior structure of living cells, for example. An electron microscope
uses electrons instead of light waves to magnify objects and allow us to see what things look like at much
higher resolutions than with either a normal or scanning microscope. This gives scientists access to parts
that are not visible using other types of microscopes which is why they are used in many experiments.
Electrons can be viewed using an electron microscope which is why scientists often use them to conduct
experiments. An electron microscope uses electrons instead of light waves, unlike a normal or scanning
microscope, so we can see what things look like at much higher resolutions and gain access to areas that
would not otherwise be visible with other types of microscopes.
History of Microscopes



In 1962, Hans Busch developed the
electromagnetic lens In 1928, according to Dennis
Gabor, a physicist by the name of Leo Szilard tried
to convince him to build an electron microscope,
which he had a patent for. In 1931, the physicist by
the name of Ernst Ruska and a electrical engineer
by the name of Max Knoll created the first ever
prototype electron microscope, capable of 400
power magnification. In May of the same year
Reinhold Rudenberg Schuckertwerke) obtain a
patent for a electron microscope. 1932, Ernst
Lubcke of Siemens & Halske, built and obtain


images from an electron microscope. In 1933,
Ruska built the first electron microscope to
surpass the resolution limit obtainable by a
optical microscope. In 1937 (Four years later),
Ernst Ruska, Bodo von Borries, and employed
Helmut Ruska, Ernst’s brother, with the help of
Siemens financial support were to develop
applications for the microscope, mostly with
biological specimens. Also in the same year,
Manfred von Ardenne pioneered the scanning


electron microscope. In 1938 at the University of
Toronto, Eli Franklin Burton along with other who’s
names are Cecil Hall, James Hillier, and Albert
Prebus, constructed the first north american
microscope. In 1939, Siemens produced an TEM
(transmission electron microscope). Microscopes
of today are capable of two-million magnification
although all are base on prototypes present from
the ideas from Ernst Ruska.
Types of Microscopes

There are many types of microscopes, and they
may be grouped in different ways, a particular
way to describe them is to look at the way the
instruments interact with a sample to create an
image either by sending a beam of light or
electrons to a sample in its optical path, or by
scanning across, and a short distance from the
surface of a sample using a probe. We take a look
at the different types of microscopes.

Optical Microscope
Optical: This is the most common type of
microscope (also the first invented). This is an
optical instrument which contains one or two
lenses producing an enlarged image of a sample
placed in the focal plane.

Electron Microscopes
Electron: Microscopes that use a beam of
accelerated electrons as there source of light. The
wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000
times shorter than that of visible light photons.
Electron microscopes have a much higher power
input than those which use light, which is good
because the reveal the structure of a specimen.
Electron microscopes use shaped magnetic fields
to form an electron optical lens that are
analogous to the optical lens of an optical

Scanning Probes
Scanning Probe: The different types of scanning
probes arise from the many types of interactions
that occur when a small probe is scanned over a
specimen. These can be recorded or mapped as a
function or location on the surface to form a
characterization map. There are three types of
scanning probe microscopes.

Types Of Probes
Atomic Force Probe (AFM)
Atomic Force (AFM): This probe is scanned across
a sample, and the forces that cause an interaction
between the probe and the surface of the sample
is scanned and mapped.

Near-Field Probe
Near-Field: Similar to an AFM, but this probe has
a light source in an optical fiber covered with a tip
that has usually an aperture for light to pass
through. This microscope can capture transmitted
or reflected light to measure localized properties
of the surface, mainly a biological specimen.

Scanning-Tunneling Probe
Scanning-Tunneling: A microscope that has a
metal tip with a single apical atom, the
tip has a tube attached to in which the current
flows. The tip is then scanned over the surface
of a sample that conducts electricity until a
current is present, the current is kept in a
constant flow by computer movement of the tip
and an image is formed by recorded
movement of the tip.

How Microscopes Improve Our Lives?


One example of how microscopes improved our
lives is the improvement in health. Microscopes
have been used to detect diseases such as cancer
and other medical disorders, which helps us
improve our quality of life. Another way
that they’ve improved our lives is by allowing for
better understanding on a cellular
level, thus improving medicine and agriculture (molecular biology). Microscopes also help us to discover
new things. By using microscopy, we are able to see the world in ways that were previously unimaginable
(for example- seeing cells and molecules). In addition, through technology such as electron probes,
scientists have been able to study objects even further than ever before. There is still much more for us to
discover using this technology, and it is exciting that we are able to do so. Microscopes have even helped
us in the field of engineering. With microscopy, engineers can observe how materials react under pressure
(stress testing). This allows them to produce stronger products for consumers. Microscopes allow scientists
and engineers alike to see things that are otherwise invisible to the human eye. This has helped us
improve our lives in many different ways, and there is still much more that we have yet to uncover!
The Future Of Microscopes

Microscopes have very long and rich history by many people either came up with patents, prototypes of
microscopes that are being used today, or breaking the limited of magnification capability, This is a device
is being used an will continue to be used for many generations to come.
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