microscope

A device designed to visualize small things. Usually refers to normal light microscopes, but can refer to more esoteric things like electron micrscopes.

The earliest notable use of the microscope was by the 18th century Dutch scientist Anton (or Antonie) van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). He discovered, using a microscope, such things as bacteria, free-living and parasitic microscopic protists, sperm cells, blood cells, microscopic nematodes, rotifers, and other fun stuff. What makes things more amazing is that his microscopes were not much more than magnifying glasses.

These days, there are many variations on the light microscope, especially when used in the biomedical sciences:

• phase contrast microscopy
• DIC microscopy
• fluorescent microscopy
• confocal microscopy
• dark field microscopy
• ... and many combinations

Of course with today's modern computerized image gathering techniques, there are various real-time image gathering setups.

Notable modern manufacturers of research-grade light microscopes include Nikon, Canon, Zeiss, Leica, and Olympus. Interestingly, many of these same companies make cameras, and had their beginning in the late 19th and early 20th century when optics were being worked out.

Mi"cro*scope (?), n. [Micro- + -scope.]

An optical instrument, consisting of a lens, or combination of lenses, for making an enlarged image of an object which is too minute to be viewed by the naked eye.

Compound microscope, an instrument consisting of a combination of lenses such that the image formed by the lens or set of lenses nearest the object (called the objective) is magnified by another lens called the ocular or eyepiece. -- Oxyhydrogen microscope, and Solar microscope. See under Oxyhydrogen, and Solar. -- Simple, ∨ Single, microscope, a single convex lens used to magnify objects placed in its focus.

© Webster 1913.