Tools of Life Scientists

The Microscope

History of the Microscope

From ancient times, man has wanted to see things far smaller than could be perceived with the naked eye.

History of the Microscope

In order to make accurate observations of organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, life scientists use tools that can magnify.

History of the Microscope

People first started magnifying objects about 2000 years ago by looking through glass containers filled with water.

History of the Microscope1590--Zacharias Janssen and his son, two Dutch eyeglass makers, experimented with lenses in a tube.

They found objects were greatly enlarged.

This becomes the first microscope.

History of the Microscope1665—Robert Hooke looked at a sliver of cork through a microscope lens and noticed some “pores” or “cells” in it.

History of the Microscope1675—Anton van Leeuwenhoek created curved lenses that allows for the best magnification of the time.

He is the first to see and describe bacteria.

History of the Microscope1830—Joseph Lister created the first prototype of the compound microscope.

The Microscope

Middle schools use compound microscopes in the classroom.

The MicroscopeThese microscopes are made of three main parts:

1) A tube withlenses (2 or more)

2) A stage

3) A light

ActivityGo around the room and view the microscopes labeled 1 through 14.

In your ISN:Label the parts of the microscope and write out the description of each part

(correctly match the numbers on your worksheet to the numbers on the microscope)