• Microscopes give insight to a universe too small to see with the naked eye."Feria de la Ciencia de Madrid 17" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: RinzeWind (Jos¨¦ Mar¨ªa Mateos) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Compund Microscopes

• The compound microscope is the most commonly used type of microscope and the one most often found in classrooms. It is light illuminated and allows the viewer to see an image that is two dimensional. The lenses bend the light, which makes the object beneath them appear closer. Individual cells, living or non-living in nature, can be viewed and specimens are mounted on glass slides. This microscope has high magnification capabilities but a low resolution. Visible light is the radiation source that allows for image formation.
  
  

Dissection or Stereoscope Microscopes

• This light illuminated, binocular microscope is used for dissection purposes and allows the viewer to obtain a closer and clearer look at larger sized specimens. Though images appear as three dimensional, individual cells cannot be seen because this type of microscope has a low magnification. It has glass lenses, mechanical focusing and utilizes visible light as its radiation source.
  
  

Confocal Microscopes

• This type of microscope functions with laser light, which is used to scan across the specimen with the assistance of scanning mirrors. The image is then placed on a digital computer screen where it is analyzed. Confocal microscopes allow objects to be viewed in a single plane of focus, which results in a sharper image. Microscopes of this caliber can cost as much as $100,000.00.
  
  

Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM)

• The SEM uses electron (negatively charged electrical particles) illumination, provides a 3-D image and can magnify objects up to two million times. Specimens are mounted on aluminum stubs and coated in gold. A tightly focused electron beam moves over the entire sample to create a magnified image of the surface of the object. Pictures are in black and white. This type of microscope has a high magnification as well as high resolution.
  
  

Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM)

• This microscope is also electron illuminated and provides a 2-D view of specimens. Copper grids are used for mounting thin slices of a specimen, then the electron beam is directed onto the object to be magnified. Some of the electrons are absorbed or bounce off the specimen, while others pass through and form a magnified image of the specimen. The TEM offers both high magnification and high resolution.