A Short History of the

Microscope
Biology 20
Mrs. S. Pipke-Painchaud
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~mbi-ws/microscopes/index.html
http://www.semguy.com/gallery.html

History ~ Inventors
Founding Fathers of Microscopy: http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~mbi-
ws/microscopes/fathers.html
Please refer to the above website for information
on the inventors of the microscope. (If the site is
not available, please refer to the end of this
powerpoint).
**Link to end of Powerpoint
Background
The microscope was first built in 1595 by Hans and
Zacharias Jansen (1588-1631) in Holland (see figure).
Later, it was perfected in the 17th century in several countries,
including by Robert Hooke (1635-1703), in England but most
notably by a Dutchman, Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-
1723).
Hooke, after examining thin pieces of cork, discovered it had a
honeycombed structure, and used for the first time the word
"cell" to describe its smaller elements. Using a much improved
microscope, with a monocular eyepiece, a wooden tube, a
stage for holding a specimen, and a glass globe full of water to
concentrate light onto it, Hooke produced marvelous
illustrations, which were published in 1667, in his famous
book Micrographia, which fired the imagination of his
contemporaries, including van Leeuwenhoek.
(Brain and Mind Website, Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n17/history/neurons1_i.htm)
Hans and
Zacharias Janssen,
~1590, Dutch Eyeglass
Makers, Inventors
Credit for the first microscope is usually given to
Zacharias Janssen, pictured at the left, in Middleburg,
Holland, around the year 1595. Since Zacharias was very
young at that time, it's possible that his father Hans made
the first one, but young Zach took over the production.
The first compound microscopes produced by the
Janssen's was simply a tube with lenses at each end. The
magnification of these early scopes ranged from 3X to
9X, depending on the size of the diaphragm openings.
Info directly from: Founding Fathers of Microscopy,
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~mbi-ws/microscopes/fathers.html

Background
14
th
century lenses were used
in spectacles
Late 16
th
century the Dutch refined
the art of lens grinding
significant magnification.
1600s lenses first mounted on
permanent frameworks (so
distance could be changed)
Why would this be important?
To focus the image
Next, lenses were paired
together.
These formed the
earliest compound
microscopes and
telescopes.
Why would this be
useful?
To increase the
magnification

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/mu
seum/earlyitaliancompound1700s.html

Robert Hooke, 1635-1703,
English Chemist, Mathematician, Physicist, and Inventor
Hooke's remarkable engineering abilities enabled
him to invent and improve many mechanical devices,
including timepieces (for which he invented the spiral
spring), the quadrant, and the Gregorian telescope.
Perhaps even more intriguing than his actual
inventions are the devices he designed but never
built: he anticipated the invention of the steam
engine, and as early as 1684 he described a working
telegraph system. Hooke balanced his inventions with
more pure research. Hooke improved on early
compound microscopes around 1660.
Info directly from: Founding Fathers of Microscopy,
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~mbi-ws/microscopes/fathers.html

In Micrographia (1665), he
coined the word cell to describe
the features of plant tissue
(cork from the bark of an oak
tree) he was able to discover
under the microscope. He put
his extensive mathematical
knowledge in formulating the
theory of planetary movement,
which provided a basis for Sir
Isaac Newton's theories of
gravitation. In 1667 he
discovered the role of
oxygenation in the respiratory
system.


Info directly from:
Founding Fathers of
Microscopy,
http://www.cas.muohio.edu
/~mbi-
ws/microscopes/fathers.htm
l

Illustration of Cork Cells by Robert Hooke
http://askabiologist.asu.edu/research/buildingblocks/rhooke.html

Robert Hooke's microscope. Hooke first described
cells in 1665.
http://www.biologyreference.com/Gr-Hi/History-
of-Biology-Cell-Theory-and-Cell-Structure.html

Robert Hooke:
http://www.fairfield.k12.ct.us/
tomlinson/ctomlinson03/Cell
Project04/Per3/3OB/Q2.htm

Anton van Leeuwenhoek
refined lens grinding so
that living things could
be seen through the
microscope.
Then there was little
change until the
industrial revolution
Both image from:
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n17/history/
neurons1_i.htm

Leeuwenhoeks
primitive one lens
microscope.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek, 1632-1723,
Wine Assayer, Surveyor, Cloth Merchant, Minor Public
Official, and Inventor
Leeuwenhoek was a man with many
talents, his most important attributes were
creativity, power of observation, and
ingenuity. Leeuwenhoek was a common
man without any fortune or formal
education, so he had to work for a living.
Leeuwenhoek made simple (one lens)
microscopes. He was not the first person
to build a microscope, but the
microscopes that he did build were the
best ones for that time period.
Leeuwenhoek was the first person to
describe bacteria (from teeth scrapings),
protozoans (from pond water), helped to
prove the theory of blood circulation. He
gained much of his inspiration form
reading Hooke's Micrographia.
Info directly from:
Founding Fathers
of Microscopy,
http://www.cas.m
uohio.edu/~mbi-
ws/microscopes/fa
thers.html

Van Leeuwenhoek used his new instrument, which
was tenfold more potent than Hookes (he reached the
amazing power of 300 times with a single lens!) to
discover startling microscopic things, such as
protozoa and spermatozoa, which thus far were
completely unknown to science, or to discover the
microscopic structure of known things, such as fleas
and plant leaves.
Van Leeuwenhoek had even been able to slice
specimens of a cow's optical nerves in 1674, and
observe its longitudinal fibrous internal structure. He
was perplexed to see that they were not hollow tubes,
as the prevailing theory of the time, such as that
defended by Ren Descartes, proposed.
((Brain and Mind Website, Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n17/history/neurons1_i.htm)
View Bacterial drawings:
http://www.virtuallaboratory.net/Biofundamentals/labs/EColi%20in
troduced/section_01.html
Changes of the Industrial Revolution
standardized parts (which were
interchangeable with other microscopes) lead
to mass production
This triggered a drop in price increased
access new discoveries clearer images
In approx. 1880 modern microscopes
were being used

Electron Microscope
Developed in the 1930s
the electron microscope allowed for higher
magnification
used electron beams (instead of light) and focused
with an electromagnet (no lenses)
the light microscope produces magnifications up to
2000X
the electron microscope produces images that are
magnified up to 50 000X or higher
What do you think the electron microscope allowed
scientists to see?
Better quality images at higher magnification
Monocular Compound
Microscope
http://www.ascoindia.com/pcat-
gifs/products-small/ms-351.jpg

Binocular Compound
Microscope
http://www.labessentials.co
m/Rev3.jpg

Electron Microscope
http://www.phy.cuhk.edu.hk/centralla
boratory/CM120/CM120.html

Termite Head:
http://alfa.ist.utl.pt/~cvrm/staff/vramo
s/SIP.html

Spider ---- http://semguy.com/gfx/spidey.jpg

Refer to this physics site for sample electron
photos:
http://www.deutsches-
museum.de/ausstell/dauer/physik/e_phys23.htm
View the SEM gallery of electron microscope
images:
http://www.semguy.com/gallery.html


Relative Sizes
Refer to University of Arizona Website:
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/c
ells/cells2.html

Parts of a Compound Microscope
Compound
Microscope Parts:
website reviews the
parts of a microscope.
(http://www.cas.muohio.edu/~mbi-
ws/microscopes/microscopeparts.html)
Try the self test
diagram

http://biology.unm.edu/ccouncil/Bio
logy_203/Summaries/
Microscopes.htm

Resource Sites:
University of Arizona:
Studying Cells:
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/c
ells/cells.html
Cell Video (animal and plant cells, image
examples)
http://www.howe.k12.ok.us/~jimaskew/bvid4a.mo
v
http://www.howe.k12.ok.us/~jimaskew/unit4.htm