Peter Harris of Reading University Traces the Science of Microscopy Back to 1665, and Robert Hooke’s Book Entitled “micrographia, or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies”

range of techniques Hooke could not possibly have imagined. Some of these techniques, like transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, can resolve individual atoms, while others, like environmental scanning electron microscopy, can image biological specimens at high resolution in something close to their natural state. As well as providing incredibly detailed images, modern microscopes can also provide information about the chemical make-up of specimens. In addition, some microscopes have the capability of allowing in situ experiments to be carried out while the specimen is imaged. This article reviews some of the growth points in modern microscopy.