Have you ever used a compound microscope? Your first thought may be to answer "no" but chances are if you had Biology in high school or college that you have used a compound microscope. What do you remember about this microscope? You may remember what it looks like but can you recall how it worked? If not, this article is for you!

A compound microscope uses light to illuminate the sample or object so that you can see it with your eye. It has two lenses that are used in combination to give you a greater view of the sample or object. One lens is called the objective lens and the other is called the eyepiece lens. The one nearest the sample you are looking at is called the objective lens. This is the lens that sticks out at the bottom and is the one you can change the magnification with. The eyepiece lens is mounted in the microscope cylinder nearest your eye. The combination of these two lenses give you your magnified image and magnification abilities.

There are many uses for the compound microscope. It is an essential tool in the creation of medicines and cures for diseases. It is also used for research in the field of bacteria and other biology. The compound microscope is used to examine cells, bacteria, and other organisms. It is also widely used in teaching about the world around us in schools across the world.

Who made the first compound microscope? A Dutch spectacle maker noticed that when he put two lenses together that magnification was greatly increased. He may have been among one of the first creators but the beginning of the invention is commonly contributed to Galileo in 1610. Galileo had heard of lenses being used in combination and made an instrument with a focusing device. Anton van Leeuwenhoek, considered the father of microscopes, was working in a store that made magnifying glasses and created ways to increase the magnification by grinding smaller and more powerful lenses.

Then he began building microscopes and was among one of the first people to see bacteria and cells up close. Others have contributed to and upgraded the compound microscope to the modern version we have today. A modern compound microscope can magnify a sample or object up to two thousand times.

The compound microscope has enabled scientists to cure many diseases over the years. Without the invention of the compound microscope, many diseases such as smallpox, measles, and others would still be prevalent in our society today. Learning about cells and micro organisms using a compound microscope gives scientists the tools to cure disease and learn about the miracle of the human body.