The Early Days of Microscopy

What did Aristophanes (424 BC) describe about lenses?

His play clouds (424 AD) uses a burning lens  (convex and thus capable of magnification) as a plot device 

What did Pliny (1st century AD) note about lenses?

He wrote that Roman physicians used burning lenses to make therapeutic burns, and that a water-filled globe could magnify small objects.

What did Alhazen (Ibn al-Haitham, AD 962-1038) discover about lenses and vision

that a transparent sphere can enlarge images (though with no practical use) and that the eye’s lens forms an image on the retina.

What did Robert Grosseteste and Roger Bacon (13th century AD) describe?

early forms of telescopes, and Bacon also mentioned eyeglasses, burning lenses, and magnifiers.

the compound microscope was invented (by Hans and Zacharias Janssen, and Lippershey) around

1590

_____ is known to have built his own compound microscope in 1609

Galileo

compound microscopes back in the day had higher magnifications than one-lens magnifiers but also had more

Abberations (impaired accurate viewing

The first drawings of magnified biological objects were

Bees (observed by Francisco Stelluti in 1630)

Described the elements of the magnified cork as “cells”

Robert Hooke (1635-1703)

who is credited with creating the 'modern' model of double-circuit blood circulation?

William Harvey (a student of Fabrici's at Padua, physician to King James I and King Charles I)

Malpighi studied ____ ____ and saw the capillary connections between arteries and veins

frog lungs

Malpighi also observed the early stages of ________ ________ in chickens thru his microscope

embryonic development

Epigeneticists

Thought form arose from formlessness (something that didn't have structure somehow developed structure)

Preformationists

Thought that result or cause of form was simply growth, form arose only from pre-existing form

Leeuwenhoek's Microscope

simple one lens instruments (fewer aberrations than 2 lens instruments, but require tins lenses for high magnification)

Some of Leeuwenhoek’s results

• Blood & circulation

• Microorganism

• Generative cells

• Spontaneous generation 

What happened to the microscope in the 18th century?

Became a rich mans toy, was just shown off for viewing purposes

The 19th century saw the introduction of lenses with

Fewer aberrations and clearer viewing