The Microscope

A microscope helps us see things that are too tiny for our eyes. It uses curved pieces of glass called lenses. The lenses bend light to make small things look huge. Scientists use microscopes to study cells, germs, and other tiny objects.

The First Microscopes

The first microscope was made around 1590 in the Netherlands. A Dutch scientist named Antonie van Leeuwenhoek made even better ones in the 1600s. He was the first person to see germs. His discoveries changed how people thought about the world.

Kinds of Microscopes

There are different kinds of microscopes today. Light microscopes use lenses and light to see things. Electron microscopes use beams of tiny particles and can see even smaller things. Some microscopes can show images of single atoms.

Fun Facts

• A drop of pond water has thousands of tiny creatures.
• The word microscope means small viewer in Greek.
• Some electron microscopes can zoom in over a million times.

Did You Know?

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek called the tiny germs he saw animalcules, which means little animals.