Microscope Types

Since its invention, the microscope has changed the face of medicine, allowing the examination of tissues, blood, and viruses. The scientific world can view chemical samples and even police can have crime scene evidence scrutinized to find the ones responsible. None of this was possible before the microscope came along. There are various microscope types available.

The compound microscope is one of the microscope types available. They are light illuminated and what is seen with this microscope is two-dimensional. This microscope can see cells and has high magnification (up to 400X), but low resolution.

The dissection microscope is another of the microscope types available. It is also light illuminated, but the image it provides is three-dimensional and is used for dissection work. You cannot see single cells because the magnification is low. Specimens are not put on a slide. Instead, the specimen itself is magnified. This microscope is also used to examine artifacts and other archeological finds.

The confocal microscope is the third of the various microscope types available. This microscope uses a laser light that scans across a specimen with the aid of mirrors. The image is then put on a computer screen to be analyzed.

A scanning electron microscope, or SEM, is illuminated by electrons, is seen in 3-D, and is one of the microscope types available. The magnification and resolution are high. Gold is used to coat the specimens and the electrons bounce off the specimen to give an exterior view of it. The images are black and white. It has a great depth of field and specimens are magnified at higher levels than other various microscope types.

Another of the microscope types available is the transmission electron microscope. This microscope is electron illuminated and gives a 2-D image. Thin slices of the specimen are passed over and through by an electron beam. It has high resolution and magnification. Its resolution is 1000 times better than the compound microscope or other light illuminated microscope.

The costs of these microscope types vary wildly. A compound microscope will cost anywhere from $150 to $10,000. A dissection microscope costs upwards to $1,500. The confocal will cost $20,000 - $100,000, and the SEM microscope and the transmission electron microscopes cost more than $50,000 each.

Microscopes are important for medical and scientific research. They can also be educational and fun for children when used in a proper setting. They have come a long way in the last 80 years. The uses of various microscope types are varied and are crucial in finding cures for diseases, infertility, and other disorders. In forensic science, they help solve crimes by blood typing and identifying trace evidence at crime scenes and on victim’s bodies.