Compound Microscopes

• Widely used in fields such as biology, bacteriology and medicine, the compound microscope is used to view such minuscule items as bacteria. The compound microscope has at least two convex lenses. Each lens is then attached to either end of a long cylinder forming the compound microscope. Other lenses may be added for additional magnification. The lens closest to the object is called the objective. The lens closest to you is called the eyepiece. Compound microscopes are mounted upright on a screw device, which allows the user to focus the microscope effectively.

Electron Microscopes

• First developed in 1932, the electron microscope is not limited by lenses and light. Instead, the electron microscope uses a stream of electrons controlled by electricity or magnetic fields to magnify and focus a structure. The image created by an electron microscope is then thrown onto a florescent screen or photographed for later study. Electron microscopes allow greater magnification and focus than simple or compound microscopes and are in used a wide variety of scientific fields, including molecular science.