What Is A Microscope? Meaning and Origin Of This Device
MICROSCOPE – In this topic, we will now know and discuss the microscope, its meaning and who invented this apparatus.
Meaning
It is an instrument which is used to look at objects that are too small to see by our naked eyes. Eventually this gave birth to a study of investigating very small objects and structures called Microscopy.
There are many types of microscopes:
- Optical
- The most common type and the first ever to be invented. It is composed of one or more lenses that can produce a larger image. These have refractive glass that are used to redirect light on the eye or to another light detector.
- Electron
- These have electromagnetic and electrostatic lenses which fixates high energy beam od electrons on a sample. These are used to magnify electrons. There are two types:
- transmission electron microscopes (TEMs)
- scanning electron microscopes (SEMs)
- These have electromagnetic and electrostatic lenses which fixates high energy beam od electrons on a sample. These are used to magnify electrons. There are two types:
- Scanning Probe
- There are three types of scanning probes:
- Atomic force microscopes (AFM)
- a fine probe, usually of silicon or silicon nitride, attached to a cantilever
- Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopes (SNOM or NSOM)
- its probe consists of a light source in an optical fiber covered with a tip that has usually an aperture for the light to pass through.
- Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (SEMs)
- consists of a metal tip with a single apical atom.
- Atomic force microscopes (AFM)
- There are three types of scanning probes:
Who invented it?
According to LiveScience, it was unclear as to who actually invented the microscope but the closest people are German Dutch Johann “Hans” Lippershey, a spectacle maker and is associated with the telescope invention; or Zacarias and Hans Janssen, both were attributed by Dutch diplomat William Boreel.
Thanks to Boreel, many learnt that the Janssens invented the microscope. The earliest ones were compound ones that have two lenses. The objective lens is placed near the object and projects an image that is picked up and magnified by the eyepiece, the second lens.
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