HS320 Microbiology Unit1 Assignment
A Basic Understanding of Microscopy
Assignment 1
Kaplan University-Microbiology
Since microorganisms are not visible to the eye, the essential tool in microbiology is the microscope. One of the first to use a microscope to observe microorganisms was Robert Hooke, the English biologist who observed algae and fungi in the 1660s. In the 1670s, “Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch merchant, constructed a number of simple microscopes and observed details of numerous forms of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria” (Introduction to Microscopes, n.d.). During the 1700s, microscopes were used to further explore on the microbial world, and by the late 1800s, the light microscope had been developed. “The electron microscope was developed in the 1940s, thus making the viruses and the smallest bacteria (for example, Rickettsiae and Chlamydia) visible” (Introduction to Microscopes, n.d.). The studies of microorganisms were now possible thanks to these two powerful tools the light and electron microscopes. The time from the development of the light microscope to the electron microscope was more than a century apart thus giving us our two first branches of microscopes and a new way to explore what the unaided eye could not.
The Light Microscope
The light microscope and the electron microscope are powerful tools that have helped identify and understand microbes but there are very different functions into what these tools can do. In light microscopy, “visible light (photons) is transmitted through or reflected from a sample and then passed through optical lenses to achieve magnification. The major limitation of standard optical microscopy lies in the diffraction limit of resolution (first approximated by Ernst Abbe)” (O'Leary, J., 2010). Diffraction according to Basics Science Partnership at Harvard is, “a phenomenon whereby a beam of light or other system of waves is spread out as a result of passing through a narrow aperture, typically accompanied by interference between the wave forms
Assignment 1
Kaplan University-Microbiology
Since microorganisms are not visible to the eye, the essential tool in microbiology is the microscope. One of the first to use a microscope to observe microorganisms was Robert Hooke, the English biologist who observed algae and fungi in the 1660s. In the 1670s, “Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch merchant, constructed a number of simple microscopes and observed details of numerous forms of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria” (Introduction to Microscopes, n.d.). During the 1700s, microscopes were used to further explore on the microbial world, and by the late 1800s, the light microscope had been developed. “The electron microscope was developed in the 1940s, thus making the viruses and the smallest bacteria (for example, Rickettsiae and Chlamydia) visible” (Introduction to Microscopes, n.d.). The studies of microorganisms were now possible thanks to these two powerful tools the light and electron microscopes. The time from the development of the light microscope to the electron microscope was more than a century apart thus giving us our two first branches of microscopes and a new way to explore what the unaided eye could not.
The Light Microscope
The light microscope and the electron microscope are powerful tools that have helped identify and understand microbes but there are very different functions into what these tools can do. In light microscopy, “visible light (photons) is transmitted through or reflected from a sample and then passed through optical lenses to achieve magnification. The major limitation of standard optical microscopy lies in the diffraction limit of resolution (first approximated by Ernst Abbe)” (O'Leary, J., 2010). Diffraction according to Basics Science Partnership at Harvard is, “a phenomenon whereby a beam of light or other system of waves is spread out as a result of passing through a narrow aperture, typically accompanied by interference between the wave forms
References: Introduction to Microscopes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/biology/microbiology/microscopy/introduction-to-microscopes O 'Leary, J. (2010). How is EM different from light microscopy? Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://bsp.med.harvard.edu/node/222 BSP, S. (2010). How is EM different from light microscopy? Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://bsp.med.harvard.edu/node/222 Tortora, G., Funke, B., & Case, C. (2010). Staining Techniques. Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/biology/microbiology/microscopy/staining-techniques