In the 1590s Hans and Zaccharias Janssen constructed the first usable microscope.

Microscopes

With modern light microscopes we can magnify an object to 1,500 times it size. An electron microscope can magnify up to two million times.

To the left is a simple light microscope.

To the right is an electron microscope

To left is an onion cell as seen under a light microscope.

To the right is a cell’s Mitochondria as seen under an electron microscope.

Notice the amount of detail and organelles you can make out in each image.

Mitochondria are much to small to be seen with a light microscope, however with an electron even their insides can be seen.  

Over time the advancements in microscopy have been tremendous. This has lead to the development of different types of microscope, capable of seeing things we didn’t know existed.

Click here to learn about the different types of microscopes.

You will mostly be using a compound microscopes through out your education.

Click here to learn how to use a compound microscope