Microscope is a unique device designed to magnify microimages and measure the size of objects or structural formations observed through a lens. This development is amazing, and the importance of the invention of the microscope is extremely great, because without it some areas of modern science would not exist. And from here in more detail.
A microscope is a device related to a telescope that is used for completely different purposes. With it, it is possible to consider the structure of objects that are invisible to the eye. It allows you to determine the morphological parameters of microformations, as well as to evaluate their volumetric location. Therefore, it is even difficult to imagine what significance the invention of the microscope had, and how its appearance influenced the development of science.
History of the microscope and optics
Today it is difficult to say who first invented the microscope. Probably, this issue will also be widely discussed, as well as the creation of a crossbow. However, unlike weapons, the invention of the microscope actually happened in Europe. By whom, exactly, is still unknown. The likelihood that Hans Jansen, a Dutch eyeglass maker, was the discoverer of the device is quite high. His son Zachary Jansen claimed in 1590 that he and his father built a microscope.
But already in 1609, another mechanism appeared, which was created by Galileo Galilei. He called it occhiolino and presented it to the public at the National Academy dei Lincei. Proof that a microscope could already be used at that time is the mark on the seal of Pope Urban III. It is believed that it is a modification of the image obtained by microscopy. The light microscope (composite) of Galileo Galilei consisted of one convex and one concave lens.
Improvement and implementation
Already 10 years after the invention of Galileo, Cornelius Drebbel creates a compound microscope with two convex lenses. And later, that is, by the end of the 1600s, Christian Huygens developed a two-lens eyepiece system. They are still being produced, although they lack the breadth of view. But, more importantly, with the help of such a microscope in 1665, Robert Hooke conducted a study of a cut of a cork oak, where the scientist saw the so-called honeycombs. The result of the experiment was the introduction of the concept of "cell".
Another father of the microscope - Anthony van Leeuwenhoek - only reinvented it, but managed to attract the attention of biologists to the device. And afterThis made it clear how important the invention of the microscope was for science, because it allowed the development of microbiology. Probably, the mentioned device significantly accelerated the development of the natural sciences, because until a person saw microbes, he believed that diseases were born from uncleanliness. And science was dominated by the concepts of alchemy and vitalistic theories of the existence of the living and the spontaneous generation of life.
Leuwenhoek microscope
The invention of the microscope is a unique event in the science of the Middle Ages, because thanks to the device it was possible to find many new subjects for scientific discussion. Moreover, many theories have been destroyed by microscopy. And this is the great merit of Anthony van Leeuwenhoek. He was able to improve the microscope so that it allows you to see the cells in detail. And if we consider the issue in this context, then Leeuwenhoek is indeed the father of this type of microscope.
Instrument structure
Levenhoek's light microscope itself was a plate with a lens capable of magnifying objects under consideration many times over. This plate with a lens had a tripod. Through it, she was mounted on a horizontal table. By pointing the lens at the light and placing the test material between it and the flame of a candle, one could see bacterial cells. Moreover, the first material that Anthony van Leeuwenhoek examined was plaque. In it, the scientist saw many creatures, which he could not name yet.
The uniqueness of Leeuwenhoek's microscope is amazing. The composite models available at that time did not provide high image quality. Moreover, the presence of two lenses only exacerbated the defects. Therefore, it took more than 150 years for the compound microscopes, originally developed by Galileo and Drebbel, to give the same image quality as Leeuwenhoek's device. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek himself is still not considered the father of the microscope, but is rightfully recognized as a master of microscopy of native materials and cells.
Invention and improvement of lenses
The very concept of a lens already existed in ancient Rome and Greece. For example, in Greece, with the help of convex glass, it was possible to kindle a fire. And in Rome, the properties of glass vessels filled with water have long been noticed. They allowed images to be enlarged, although not many times over. The further development of lenses is unknown, although it is obvious that progress could not stand still.
It is known that in the 16th century in Venice, the use of glasses came into practice. This is confirmed by the facts about the availability of glass grinding machines, which made it possible to obtain lenses. There were also drawings of optical devices, which are mirrors and lenses. The authorship of these works belongs to Leonardo da Vinci. But even earlier, people worked with magnifying glasses: back in 1268, Roger Bacon put forward the idea of creating a telescope. It was later implemented.
Obviously, the authorship of the lens belonged to no one. But this was observed until the moment when Carl Friedrich Zeiss took up optics. In 1847 he started manufacturing microscopes. His company then became a leader in the development of optical glasses. It exists to this day, remaining the mainindustries. All companies that manufacture photo and video cameras, optical sights, rangefinders, telescopes and other devices cooperate with it.
Improving microscopy
The history of the invention of the microscope is amazing when studied in detail. But no less interesting is the history of further improvement of microscopy. New types of microscopes began to appear, and the scientific thought that generated them plunged deeper and deeper. Now the goal of the scientist was not only the study of microbes, but also the consideration of smaller components. They are molecules and atoms. Already in the 19th century, they could be investigated by means of X-ray diffraction analysis. But science demanded more.
So, already in 1863, researcher Henry Clifton Sorby developed a polarizing microscope to study meteorites. And in 1863, Ernst Abbe developed the theory of the microscope. It was successfully adopted in the production of Carl Zeiss. His company has thus developed into a recognized leader in the optical industry.
But soon came 1931 - the time of the creation of the electron microscope. It has become a new type of apparatus that allows you to see much more than light. In it, not photons and not polarized light were used for transmission, but electrons - particles much smaller than the simplest ions. It was the invention of the electron microscope that allowed the development of histology. Now scientists have gained complete confidence that their judgments about the cell and its organelles are indeed correct. However, only in 1986Ernst Ruska, creator of the electron microscope, was awarded the Nobel Prize. Moreover, already in 1938, James Hiller built a transmission electron microscope.
The latest types of microscopes
Science after the success of many scientists has developed faster and faster. Therefore, the goal, dictated by new realities, was the need to develop a highly sensitive microscope. And already in 1936, Erwin Muller produced a field emission device. And in 1951, another device was produced - a field ion microscope. Its importance is extreme because it allowed scientists to see atoms for the first time. And in addition to this, in 1955, Jerzy Nomarski develops the theoretical foundations of differential interference-contrast microscopy.
Improving the latest microscopes
The invention of the microscope is not yet a success, because it is, in principle, not difficult to make ions or photons pass through biological media, and then consider the resulting image. But the question of improving the quality of microscopy was really important. And after these conclusions, scientists created a transit mass analyzer, which was called a scanning ion microscope.
This device made it possible to scan a single atom and obtain data on the three-dimensional structure of the molecule. Together with X-ray diffraction analysis, this method made it possible to significantly speed up the processidentification of many substances found in nature. And already in 1981, a scanning tunneling microscope was introduced, and in 1986 - an atomic force microscope. 1988 is the year of the invention of the scanning electrochemical tunnel microscope. And the latest and most useful is the Kelvin force probe. It was developed in 1991.
Assessing the global significance of the invention of the microscope
From 1665, when Leeuwenhoek began working glass and making microscopes, the industry has evolved and grown in complexity. And wondering what was the significance of the invention of the microscope, it is worth considering the main achievements of microscopy. So, this method made it possible to consider the cell, which served as another impetus for the development of biology. Then the device made it possible to see the organelles of the cell, which made it possible to form patterns of the cellular structure.
Then the microscope made it possible to see the molecule and the atom, and later scientists were able to scan their surface. Moreover, even electron clouds of atoms can be seen through a microscope. Since electrons move at the speed of light around the nucleus, it is absolutely impossible to consider this particle. Despite this, it should be understood how important the invention of the microscope was. He made it possible to see something new that cannot be seen with the eye. This is an amazing world, the study of which brought a person closer to the modern achievements of physics, chemistry and medicine. And it's worth all the hard work.
