How to Use a Microscope: Step-by-Step Guide
Ever wonder how a drop of pond water can be a whole micro world? A microscope reveals this hidden world by magnifying small objects and bringing out details the unaided … Read more
Microscopy
Microscopy is the study of devices (microscopes) that are used to view objects or certain areas that cannot be seen with a naked eye.
- Microscopes work on the physical principle of magnification where the image of an object is magnified so that it can be visible.
- The substances that can only be seen with a microscope are called microscopic substances.
- Microscopes are imperative in areas like microbiology that deals with the structure and function of microscopic living beings.
- Microscopy is further divided into three branches; optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray microscopy.
- X-ray microscopy is a fairly new technology that is responsible for detailed imaging of subcellular organelles like the nucleus and chromosomes.
- Microscopy, importantly optical microscopy, began with the discovery of the first microscope by Anton Von Leeuwenhoek.
- Â The complexity of microscopy since then has increased rapidly with new and advanced microscopes with higher magnification and resolution.
- In an optical microscope, the rays of light are passed through a series of glass lenses to produce a magnified image on the observer’s eyes. Compound microscopes are the most common type of microscope, mostly used for research and teaching purposes.
- In the case of an electron and X-ray microscope, an electron beam is created which produced a digital magnified image of an object.
- Electron microscopes have very high magnification and resolution which produces clear enlarged images of objects as small as an atom.
- Depending on the nature of the sample, different types of microscopes, including bright field microscope, fluorescence microscope, phase contrast, and darkfield microscopes, are also available.
- The magnification of these microscopes depends on the type of lens used in the system which produces images of different magnitude and resolution so that they can be viewed.
- Microscopy is important in different areas of science like histology, cytology, and bacteriology. Microscopic examination of the morphology and structure of cells has been used as an essential technique for the identification of microorganisms.
Fluorescence Microscope: Principle, Parts, Uses, Examples
A fluorescence microscope is an optical microscope that uses fluorescence and phosphorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption to study the properties of organic or inorganic substances. … Read more
Ultraviolet (UV) Microscopy: Principle, Parts, Steps, Uses, Examples
In the early twentieth century, two German scientists, August Köhler and Moritz von Rohr, discovered a light microscopy technique that used ultraviolet light to produce an image of the specimen, … Read more
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is a fluorescence-based technique used to observe and study cellular activities occurring at the surfaces and boundaries of living cell membranes. In 1965, a … Read more
Polarizing Microscope: Principle, Parts, Procedure, Uses, Examples
The discovery of the Polarizing microscope or polarized light microscope took place in the nineteenth century, with the development of polarizing filters. The evidence of polarized light, the nature of … Read more
Infrared Microscopy: Principle, Parts, Procedure, Examples, Uses
The origin of Infrared Microscopy dates back to the eighteenth century, when a British astronomer, Sir Frederick William Herschel, discovered an unusual radiation in the range of the electromagnetic spectrum. … Read more
Parts of a Microscope with Functions and Labeled Diagram
Microscopes are instruments that are used in science laboratories to visualize very minute objects, such as cells and microorganisms, giving a contrasting image that is magnified. Microscopes are made up of … Read more
Multiphoton Microscopy: Principle, Parts, Steps, Uses
Historically, significant milestones in the evolution of life science and technology have led to advancements in the development of microscopy techniques. From visualization of microbial cells to studying subcellular components, … Read more
Microscope Diaphragm: Types, Functions & Adjustment Tips
Microscopes are critical tools in various fields, including biology, medicine, chemistry, geology, and materials science, enabling researchers, scientists, and students to explore microscopic specimens’ intricate structures and features. The diaphragm … Read more
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope: Principle, Parts, Uses
In 1952, Marvin Lee Minsky, an American computer scientist, patented confocal imaging based on the idea of producing a point source of light and rejecting out-of-focus light using illumination. Confocal … Read more