![]() These issues were eliminated by Carl Zeiss (1816–1888) and Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), who added the sub-stage condenser and developed the superior lenses that provided improved resolution and higher magnification. The magnification of commonly available microscopes was limited to roughly 30-50x until the 1800s, and the images exhibited blurry edges and rainbow-like distortions. Englishman Robert Hooke (1635–1703) added a stage to hold the specimen, an illuminator, and fine focus controls to improve the compound microscope further. He observed the individual cells, protozoans, bacteria, muscle cells, and sperm cells for the first time. ![]() Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) invented the simple microscope in 1670, which had a magnification up to 200x, and doubled the resolution compared to the best compound microscopes of those days. Credit for inventing this type of the microscope is sometimes given to Zacharias Jansen (1580–1638). However, magnifying microscopes consisting of collapsing tubes, similar to a telescope, dating back to as early as the late 16th or early 17th century. There is uncertainty surrounding the inventor of the first light microscope. Examples include the diverse range of fluorescent probes that can be used to selectively highlight structures and processes within cells. For these reasons, several techniques have been developed specifically for biological applications. Light microscopy is ideally suited for imaging biological specimens, because the resolution of the microscope is within the size range of key cellular structures, and because using it requires only a minimal amount of perturbation of the specimen. When combined with a digital camera and image analysis software, light microscopes can also be used to collect quantitative information. ![]() A number of modular accessories have been developed which enhance the capability of the microscope, giving it, for example, improved contrast or the ability to image in three dimensions. These microscopes are versatile in the types of materials and samples they can analyze (opaque or transparent, liquid or solid). Light microscopes are useful for size ranges down to roughly 1 micron (for comparison, the diameter of a human hair is approximately 100 microns). The light or optical microscope is a common lab tool that can be used to visualize structures with sizes below that which can be seen by the human eye.
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