Microscope Objectives

The invention of the microscope is one of the most significant discoveries in the field of science. Prior to the microscope's invention, little was known about the existence of anything smaller than what the human eye could resolve on its own. Nothing was known about germs, bacteria and other organisms that were too small to be seen by the unaided eye. Because of this, most of the information on how the world worked at the cellular level was based on speculation and myth. It wasn't until the late 1600s that all this changed.

 

The First Practical Microscope

Although lens makers had been experimenting with magnifying lenses for over 500 years, it wasn't until the late 17th century that Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch scientist, invented the first practical microscope. Leeuwenhoek developed a way to not only make excellent lenses but also a way to make superior tubing for those lenses. He was so innovative as a scientist, that his microscopes had the power to magnify objects as small as one millionth of a meter in size.

 

Secrets Of Nature Revealed

Microscopes, like no other invention, helped unveil the secrets of nature and man's place in it. One of the first major discoveries made with the microscope was that human blood actually circulated in the body delivering nutrients and oxygen to the body's cells. This discovery by itself was a stunning revelation. It proved that life was indeed in the blood. Another revelation discovered by the microscope was that the actual structure of the human cell was far more complex than anyone had ever imagined. Instead of the cell being a simple amorphous blob, as Darwin and others had presumed, it was found under magnification to be a tremendously complex structure made of incredibly sophisticated molecular machines. In addition to this revelation, it was also discovered that the machines in the cell are far more complex than any machine ever conceived or built by man.

 

The Objective Lens

The working end of an ordinary light microscope includes one or more Microscope Objectives lenses. Generally, there are three or four of these lenses attached to the instrument. They are usually attached to a piece of the microscope called the nosepiece that may be rotated to select the lens with the magnification you want to use.