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.
  •  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.

Parts of a microscope with functions and labeled diagram

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Microscope Parts

Having been constructed in the 16th Century, Microscopes have revolutionalized science with their ability to magnify small objects such as microbial cells, producing images with definitive structures that are identifiable and characterizable. What are Microscopes? Microscope Definition Microscopes are instruments that are used in science laboratories, to visualize very minute objects such as cells, microorganisms, giving a contrasting image, that is magnified. Microscopes are made up of lenses for magnification, each with its own magnification powers. Depending on the type … Read more

Amazing 27 things under the microscope (diagrams and descriptions)

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How these 26 things look like under the microscope

Note: Each image source is given below in this post of respective subheadings. 1. Amoeba under the microscope Amoeba is a unicellular organism in the Kingdom Protozoa. It is a eukaryote and thus has membrane-bound cell organelles and protein-bound genetic material with a nuclear membrane. Amoeba moves with their pseudopodia, which is a specialized form of the plasma membrane that results in a crawling motion of the organism. Because these are unicellular organisms, they cannot be seen through the naked … Read more

USB Microscope- Definition, Principle, Parts, Examples, Uses

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USB Microscope

What is a USB Microscope? This is a type of digital Microscope which is connected to a computer through a USB port. It works on low power. They have installed webcam with a high-powered macro lens. they also have an inbuilt LED light constructed near the lens. Principle of USB Microscope As a digital microscope, this microscope lacks eyepiece since it has an inbuilt LED light, which is the source of light for the microscope. Light is reflected from the … Read more

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)- Definition, Principle, Images

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Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

What is a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)? This is a powerful electron microscope that uses a beam of electrons to focus on a specimen producing a highly magnified and detailed image of the specimen. The magnification power is over 2 million times better than that of the light microscope, producing the image of the specimen which enables easy characterization of the image in its morphological features, compositions and crystallization information is also detailed. Early discovery of cathode rays like electrons … Read more

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)- Definition, Principle, Parts, Uses

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Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)

What is an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)? The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscope whose primary roles include measuring properties such as magnetism, height, friction. The resolution is measured in a nanometer, which is much more accurate and effective than the optical diffraction limit. It uses a probe for measuring and collection of data involves touching the surface that has the probe. An image is formed when the scanning probe microscope raster-scans the probe over … Read more

Dissecting microscope (Stereo or stereoscopic microscope)- Definition, Principle, Parts

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Labeled Dissecting microscope (Stereo or stereoscopic microscope)

What is a Dissecting microscope (Stereo microscope)? These are also known as stereoscopic microscopes. This is a type of digital optical microscope designed with a low magnification power (5x-250x), by use of light reflected from the surface of the specimen, and not the light reflected the specimen. Its primary role is for dissection of specimens and viewing and qualitatively analyzing the dissected samples. It was first designed by Cherudin d’Orleans in 1677 by making a small microscope with two separate … Read more

Brightfield Microscope (Compound Light Microscope)- Definition, Principle, Parts

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Brightfield Microscope

Brightfield Microscope Definition Brightfield Microscope is also known as the Compound Light Microscope. It is an optical microscope that uses light rays to produce a dark image against a bright background. It is the standard microscope that is used in Biology, Cellular Biology, and Microbiological Laboratory studies. This microscope is used to view fixed and live specimens, that have been stained with basic stains which gives a contrast between the image and the image background. It is specially designed with … Read more

Pocket Microscope- Definition, Principle, Parts, Types, Uses

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Pocket Microscope

What is a Pocket Microscope? This is a microscope that has a special design that is small and portable, hence the name ‘pocket’. They are pocket-size but some are a bit larger. Their size is too small to hold a mirror to place the image in its rightful position. However, they have a small stage where one can put an object to view. These microscopes are portable in such a way that they can be used by both amateurs and … Read more

Darkfield Microscope- Definition, Principle, Uses, Diagram

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Darkfield Microscope

What is a Darkfield Microscope? Microbiology, the branch of science that has so vastly extended and expanded our knowledge of the living world, owes its existence to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. In 1673, with the aid of a crude microscope consisting of a biconcave lens enclosed in two metal plates, Leeuwenhoek introduced the world to the existence of microbial forms of life. Over the years, microscopes have evolved from the simple, single-lens instrument of Leeuwenhoek, with a magnification of 300 X, … Read more

Fluorescence Microscopy- Definition, Principle, Parts, Uses

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Fluorescence Microscopy

What is a Fluorescence Microscope? A fluorescence microscope is an optical microscope that uses fluorescence and phosphorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption to study properties of organic or inorganic substances. Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation while phosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The fluorescence microscope was devised … Read more