Poem Analysis:
“Magnify the unseen world,
Intricate details unfurled.
Cells and creatures, big and small,
Revealed beneath the lens, we call.
Observing life in its tiny scope,
Scientific wonders, giving hope.
Concealed mysteries, now clear,
Optical marvels bring them near.
Patterns, structures, come alive,
Exploring realms that thrive.”
Process Questions:
1. What scientific instrument is described
in the poem?
2. What is the significance of the phrase
"scientific wonders, giving hope"?
SW # 1 Microscopy Timeline: Using the table, plot
the advancements of the microscope in the early
years.
Early Years Events in the invention of
microscope
Early Years
Circa 1000 CE: The first vision aid, called a
"reading stone," was created (inventor
unknown). It was a glass sphere that
magnified reading materials when laid on
top of them.
Circa 1284: Italian inventor Salvino
D'Armate is credited with inventing the first
wearable eyeglasses.
1590: Two Dutch eyeglass makers, Zacharias
Janssen and son Hans Janssen, experimented
with multiple lenses placed in a tube. The
Janssens observed that objects viewed in front
of the tube appeared greatly enlarged, creating
both the telescope and the forerunner of the
compound microscope.
1665: English physicist Robert Hooke looked at
a sliver of cork through a microscope lens and
noticed "pores" or "cells" in it.
1674: Anton van Leeuwenhoek built a simple
microscope with only one lens to examine blood,
yeast, insects, and many other tiny objects. He
was the first person to describe bacteria, and he
also invented new methods for grinding and
polishing microscope lenses. These techniques
allowed for curvatures providing magnifications of
up to 270 diameters, the best available lenses at
that time.
Answer Key
SW # 1 Microscopy Timeline
Early Events in the invention of microscope
Years
100 CE unidentified inventor reading stone
1284 Italian Salvino D' Armate first pair of wearable eyeglasses
1590 Dutch eyeglass craftsmen Zacharias Janssen and his son
Hans Janssen telescope and compound microscope
1665 English physicist Robert Hooke discovered in a cork using
the microscope lens the "pores" or "cells"
1674 Anton van Leeuwenhoek basic microscope equipped with
a single lens used to observe blood, yeast, insects, and a
wide array of minuscule specimens
Microscope is an
instrument that is used to
magnify small objects.
Revolving Nosepiece
Parts of a
Microscope
Coarse Adjustment Knob
Fine Adjustment Knob
Parts and Function of a Microscope
Lecture #1
• Eyepiece (Ocular Lens): The lens at the top
of the microscope that you look through,
usually with a magnification of 10x or 15x.
• Arm: The part of the microscope that
connects the base to the head and the
eyepiece tube. It is used to carry the
microscope.
• Stage Clips: Metal clips on the stage
that hold the slide in place.
• Stage: The flat platform where the slide is placed
for observation.
• Revolving Nosepiece: The part that holds two or
more objective lenses and can be rotated to easily
change power (magnification).
• Objective: The lenses closest to
the specimen, that are typically of
varying magnifications (e.g., 4x,
10x, 40x, 100x).
• Coarse Adjustment Knob: A larger knob used
for focusing the microscope. It moves the stage or
the body tube up and down to bring the specimen
into general focus.
• Fine Adjustment Knob: A smaller knob used for
fine-tuning the focus of the specimen after using
the coarse adjustment knob. It moves the stage
slightly to sharpen the image.
• Body Tube: The tube that connects the eyepiece
to the microscope body.
• Diaphragm (Iris): A rotating disk under the stage
with different sized holes. It is used to vary the
intensity and size of the cone of light that is
projected upward into the slide.
• Base: The bottom part of the microscope that
provides stability and support. It houses the
illuminator and other electrical components.
• Illuminator/ Mirror: A light source
located at the base of the microscope.
