We explain what a microscope is, when and who invented this instrument. The parts that compose it and types of microscope.
What is a microscope?
The microscope is an instrument that allows you to observe objects that are too small to be seen by the eye of the human being. The term microscope is the conjunction of two concepts, on the one hand "micro"Which is equivalent to"small" Y "scopio" What does it mean "observe”, In short it refers to the observation small, or to a lesser degree.
The microscope is an optical instrument that increases the capacity of observation to levels of approach such that it even makes possible the analysis ofparticles. The image you get is really a research on the composition of objects. To study and analysis of small objects is called "microscopy”.
When and who invented the microscope?
This instrument was invented by Zacharias Janssen in the year 1590. The discovery of this instrument was very important, mainly because of his contributions to medical research. In 1665, the research carried out by William Harvey on blood circulation appeared, by analyzing the blood capillaries. In 1667, Marcello Malpighi, an Italian biologist, was the first researcher to study living tissues thanks to observation through the microscope.
The Dutchman Anton van Leeuwenhoek, used microscopes to describe for the first time various organisms, protozoa, bacteria, sperm and red blood cells. He can be considered as the founder of the science that studies the behavior of bacteria, gave rise to bacteriology. What is innovative about his technique is that he carried out the studies with his own microscopes, he devoted much of his weather in shaping magnifying glasses, giving the crystals the millimeter thickness needed.
From then on, technical progress has been made by increasing the level of magnification of microscopes, and this in turn enabling medical science to carry out more and more exhaustive research on the behavior of microorganisms and the study of cells. The advance thanks to the implementation and development of the microscope was enormous in the 18th century.
Then came the electron microscope, developed in Germany in 1931 by two researchers Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska. This enabled a 100,000X magnification to be achieved, a huge leap for the technique.
Parts of a microscope
With a turning system, the revolver allows the exchange of lenses.
The different parts that commonly make up a microscope are:
- Ocular lens. It is where you place the eye of the person observer. This lens can magnify the image 10-15 times its size.
- Canyon. It is basically an elongated tube of metal whose interior is black, it serves as a support for the ocular lens and the objective lens.
- Objective lenses. It is a group of 2 or 3 lenses located on the revolver.
- Stir. It is a system that contains the objective lenses inside, it can have a turning system that allows the exchange of these lenses.
- The coarse screw. It is a knob that, when turned, acts to move closer or further away from the object being observed.
- The micrometric screw. It is what allows you to sharpen and focus the image correctly. Making it clearer.
- The platen. It is a platform of forceps, it is where the object or preparation to be observed is placed.
- The diaphragm. It serves to regulate the amount of light that passes through the object in observation.
- The condenser. It is used to concentrate the light beam on the preparation or object.
- Artificial light source. Directs light onto stage.
Types of microscopes
There are various types of microscopes that were used through the history, and there are currently microscopes designed with a special purpose, some of these are:
- Scanning electron microscope
- Optical microscope
- Simple microscope
- Compound microscope
- Ultraviolet light microscope
- Fluorescence microscope
- Petrographic microscope
- Microscope in dark field
- Phase contrast microscope
- Polarized light microscope
- Confocal microscope
- Electronic microscope
- Transmission electron microscope
- Ion field microscope
- Scanning probe microscope
- Tunneling Microscope
- Atomic force microscope
- Virtual microscope