History of the microscope

o The microscope allows us to see the smallest component of all living things.
o Magnifying glasses are mentioned in the writings of Roman philosophers during the first century
A.D.
o In the 17th century, Galileo, the father of modern physics and astronomy, formulated the
principle of lenses and focusing.
o Robert Hooke build the first usable British compound microscope in 1665. It was a light
microscope with two converging lens systems: objective and eyepiece. He observed that tissues
were constructed of many tiny individual building blocks - in 1665, he had discovered and
named cell. Hook was actually viewing cork - dead plant cells.
o The first person that have observe to witness a live cell under a microscope was Anton van
Leeuwenhoek. Around 1670, he developed a method of grinding thin glass lenses just a
millimeter in diameter and yet they could magnify 100x. These single lens microscope were far
simpler than compound instruments. Mounted in a brass plate, these lenses could use
transmitted light to image objects in a drop of water on the end of the metal pin. The screw is
used to move the pin and focus the specimen. He was the first to see and describe bacteria and
yeast cell, sperm and blood cells, and witness the circulation of blood through capillaries.
o Light microscope is still used today but in 1931, German scientists Max Knoll and Ernst Rusca
invented the electron microscope. Instead of light, this microscope employs a focus beam of
electrons to image the specimen and is capable of far greater magnification and resolution. The
electron microscope magnify up to 1 million times making it possible to view objects as small as
the diameter of an atom. These powerful microscopes have one major drawback. Living a
specimen are destroyed by the radiation of the electron beam. So scientists must continue to
rely on traditional light microscope to examine living cells.

How to use a microscope

Grab the microscope by the handle or the arm and support it with your other hand on the base and hold
it close to your body and take it to your table.
*Microscope is a series of lenses that is used to magnify an object.
Unmount the slide with the specimen.
Dispose the cover slip properly.
Unplug and cover.

Parts of a microscope
Ocular lenses – eyepiece; with 10x magnification
Objective lenses – Low (4x), Medium (10x), High (40x)
Revolving nose piece – let you change the objective lenses
Power switch
Diaphragm used to adjust the lighting
dimmer switch
stage, on it is the mechanical stage - holds the slide and use to move it around
Coarse knob – used to move stage alot
Fine knob – finer focus adjustments
*Wet mount slide – mounting in water
It is important to focus and center your specimen.
Always go from low, to medium, then high.