Such a device as a microscope, before and in the modern world, is very popular. Each of us from school times remembers well that this is an optical device that magnifies objects hundreds or even thousands of times. In biology classes, we looked through the eyepiece at the cells of the onion film and were surprised at the cunning and complexity of such an instrument. Today we’ll try to figure out who invented the microscope, as there is no exact answer to this question.
How did the first microscope appear
The optical properties of curved surfaces were discovered as early as the 300s BC. Euclid in his treatises spoke about the research, explaining the refraction and reflection of light, as a result of which there was a visual increase in objects. Ptolemy in his work "Optics" described the characteristics of flammable glasses. But at that time all these properties did not find application. And only a few centuries later they were used in practice.
In 1550, Hans Jansen and his son Zachary built the very first model of the device: two lenses were placed in one tube, thus obtaining a fifty-fold increase. This is one of the answers to the question of who invented the primitive microscope. And Galileo in 1610 discovered that by expanding the
telescope he had invented, it was also possible to enlarge small objects. It was this scientist who began to be considered the one who invented the first microscope, consisting of negative and positive lenses. After this date, studies in the area under consideration began to develop rapidly.
17th century - the time of great discoveries
In this century, a real scientific and technological revolution took place, which became the foundation of most modern sciences: biology, medicine, physics, mathematics. Grand discoveries and great inventions were made. Just at that time, microscopes improved markedly and became an important part of every researcher. But no one exactly said who invented the microscope, who should be considered its creator. According to one opinion, the creator of the device in question is A. Kircher, who in 1646 described a device called "flea glass". What did it consist of?
It was a magnifying glass, fixed at the base of copper, which held the subject table. At the very bottom was a
flat mirror that reflected light and illuminated an object. Using the screw, you could move the magnifying glass and adjust the image. Such a device has become the prototype of a modern light microscope.
C. Huygens eyepiece system and further development of the device
The creation of this system was a big step in the development of microscopes. It was possible to obtain a colorless image, which allowed to increase the clarity of the studied subjects. At the beginning of the 17th century, scientist K. Drebel made a complex microscope consisting of two lenses: the first turned to the subject, the second to the researcher’s eye.
At the same time, biconvex glasses were used in the first, which gave an inverted enlarged image.
Robert Hook in 1661 improved the device by adding another lens. This type became the most popular for most microscope models until the mid-18th century. Another inventor - Anthony Van Levenguk - is also considered the one who invented the microscope. The reason is his huge contribution to the development of the device in question. In his spare time, he polished the lenses. Despite the fact that they were relatively small, the increase was astounding - 350-400 times.
The influence of the microscope on microbiology
Using his lenses, Levenguk created his own device and began to study various objects. So, just through one small sized spherical lens, he saw a lot of tiny living creatures in a drop of dirty water. It was concluded that there was some kind of microscopic life. Levenguk began to study it, which laid the foundation for another new science - microbiology. In 1861, the scientist presented his discovery to the Royal Society of London and received the title of inventor of microscopes and the greatest researcher.
It turns out that he is the one who invented the microscope. To date, the described devices have undergone great changes. Models have appeared that use not light to obtain an image, but electron flows, and sometimes laser radiation. For this, computer calculations are also used. The microscope has become one of the most important devices in research in the natural sciences; it is used in chemistry, biology, and physics.
Electron microscope
If you ask who invented the electron microscope, the correct answer would be: physicists from the University of Sheffield. The old device is based on the method of transmission microscopy, which allows obtaining image resolution limited only by the electron wavelength. In the design of the transmission device, researchers abandoned magnetic lenses, since it was they who basically lowered the resolution.
Wave diffraction passed through the sample, and an image was obtained by computer analysis. This is an electronic birdography. Using a small modification of the design and a slightly different way of forming the final image, the scientists managed to increase the resolution of an existing device by five times.
The principle of operation of an electron microscope
Now it is not so important who first invented the microscope. Nowadays, the ball is ruled by completely different, much more powerful devices, including electronic ones. By the principle of operation, they are similar to light. Only in them, instead of the light flux , electrons pass through the sample, and magnets are used instead of glass lenses.
But it is blurred due to aberrations inherent in magnetic lenses. Scientists have found a way to restore images. This made it possible to remove magnets and, accordingly, distortions from the circuit.
Who invented the light microscope? A bit of history
What is an optical microscope? This is a laboratory system designed to obtain images of small objects in an enlarged form for the purpose of their study, consideration and practical application. We began our article with the history of the development of the microscope, and now look at this issue from a different perspective. Currently, such a device is necessary not only for doctors and biologists.
Without it, it is impossible to imagine high modern technologies with current requirements for assembly control and product quality.
Let's talk about one achievement. In 2006, German scientists Mariano Bossi and Stefan Hell developed a nanoscope - an ultra-powerful optical microscope that allows you to examine objects of super small size of 10 Nm, as well as receive 3D images of the highest quality.
Briefly about the capabilities of modern devices
We sorted out a little with the question of who invented the first microscope. And now just a few words about the capabilities of modern devices. In 2010, news came from Israel's Yeshiva University that scientists were able to track how individual molecules move inside a cell. Then, German researchers captured molecular transformations during chemical reactions. And a year earlier, the Kharkov Physicotechnical Institute received a clear image of a single atom.
It should also be noted that at present light microscopes are catching up with electronic microscopes in their capabilities.