Question: how do microscopes work?

Naomi Osborne answered on 24 Jun 2014:

There are different types of microscopes, some more powerful than others. The most commonly used is light microscopy, which is also the oldest type of microscope. It works using artificial or natural light that is reflected off a specimen and passed through a number of lenses which magnify the image.

Inside a microscope there are several lenses, like magnifying glasses, stacked on top of each other. Most microscopes have on their base a condenser, which condenses the light into strong beam, focusing it through the lenses. Most microscopes have more than one lens, so you can change the magnification.

Using microscopes is very cool – I used one today to help identify some bacteria I had isolated, microscopes are a very important tool in microbiology!