A microscope is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopes can magnify images of small objects, allowing the observer to have an exceedingly close view of minute structures in a slide. The most common type of microscope is the optical microscope, which uses lenses to refract visible light that passed through a thinly sectioned sample to produce an observable image. Other major types of microscopes are the fluorescence microscope, electron microscope (both the transmission electron microscope and the scanning electron microscope) and various types of scanning probe microscopes. The magnifying power of a microscope is an expression of the number of times the object being examined appears to be enlarged and is a dimensionless ratio. It is usually expressed in the form 10× (for an image magnified 10-fold). The resolution of a microscope is a measure of the smallest detail of the object that can be observed. The primary function of a microscope is to study biological specimens, and it solely functions on two concepts – magnification and resolution.

The parts of a microscope include the eyepiece lens, tube, arm, objective lens, stage, condenser lens, and light source. The eyepiece lens is the lens at the top that you look through, usually 10x or 15x power. The tube connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses, and the arm supports the tube and connects it to the base. The objective lens is the lens closest to the object, and the stage is the platform on which the slide is placed. The condenser lens focuses the light onto the specimen, and the light source provides illumination.

In summary, a microscope is an instrument that magnifies objects otherwise too small to be seen by the naked eye, and it is used to study small objects and structures. There are many types of microscopes, and the most common type is the optical microscope. The magnifying power and resolution of a microscope are important parameters in microscopy. The primary function of a microscope is to magnify small objects and provide high-quality details of the desired specimen. The parts of a microscope include the eyepiece lens, tube, arm, objective lens, stage, condenser lens, and light source.