Microorganisms are extremely minute organisms that cannot be seen by the naked eye; a microscope is required to view these.
A microscope is a device made up of different lenses that magnifies extremely minute objects and organisms to allow for easy study of their characteristics.
The first microscope was invented in the 17th century in the form of a single lens machine.
Since then, it has grown in complexity depending on the requirements of its use.
Modern day microscopes are made up of multiple lenses, with some microscopes having the ability to magnify objects up to one million times their actual size.
But such microscopes are special devices that are used in high-end research and development laboratories.
Microscopes can broadly be divided into two major categories - light microscopes and electron microscopes.
Light microscopes use light to illuminate the sample under magnification.
There are four different types of light microscopes including bright field, dark field, phase contrast, and fluorescence.
The ordinary laboratory microscope is an example of a light microscope.
Electron microscopes on the other hand use transmission or scanning for magnifying and detecting objects.
These are also the two categories into which electron microscopes are divided.
All electron microscopes use electrons instead of light waves for illumination of the object under magnification.
While microscopes in general have metamorphosed, the laboratory microscope continues to be a simple device.
The common laboratory microscope is a simple set up consisting of one or two eye pieces.
These are supported by 3-4 different objective lenses of varying magnification strengths.
A regular laboratory microscope has the ability to magnify objects from 5 times to about 100 times their original size.
This magnification is sufficient to bring to light objects and organisms that can generally not be seen by the naked eye.
These microscopes also have an oil immersion lens in which the magnification takes place through a lens immersed in oil.
Special oil is used in combination with the lens to achieve extra magnification of up to 100 times.
The oil and the glass lenses have the same refractive index to ensure there is no loss of light due to refraction.
Laboratory microscopes that are used by medical laboratories involved in the analysis of bodily fluids are somewhat different.
These microscopes are of a higher magnification power.
As bacteria and viruses come in sizes that are smaller than the magnification powers of ordinary laboratory microscopes, many laboratories also employ electron microscopes to detect these organisms.
The lab microscope has had a long and glorious history; some of the biggest scientists and some of the biggest scientific discoveries of all times have been possible due to the common laboratory microscope.
An example of this is the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, who accidentally found the substance when it infected and contaminated one of his experiments.
When he put it under his microscope he was surprised to find that it had filled many of the bacteria in his experiment.
There are many similar amazing discoveries that can be attributed to the laboratory microscope.
Though seemingly simple devices, laboratory microscopes can today be found in almost every high school and college all over the world.
Every student that has studied life sciences such as botany, biology, zoology, has found this device an indispensable aid in completing his education.
In that sense, the simple laboratory microscope has played an incomparable role in furthering the development of science and leading discoveries through the centuries.