Evolution of Microscopy: From Leeuwenhoek to Super-resolution Techniques

Using a tiny, spherical glass lens sandwiched between two brass plates, the 17th century Dutch microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to officially describe red blood cells and sperm cells in human tissues, and observe “animalcules” — bacteria and protists — in the water of a lake.

Increasingly powerful light microscopes followed, revealing cell organelles like the nucleus and energy-producing mitochondria.

When light passes through a lens, the light gets spread out through diffraction.

Advanced light microscopy techniques have come into their own — and are giving scientists a new understanding of human biology and what goes wrong in disease