Types of Microscopes
Types Of Microscopes is a structured science dataset with 16 entries. Its fields include Microscope Type, Inventor, Year Invented. The source values are preserved as a structured reference table.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 16 rows
- Fields
- 6 columns
- Source
- Community curated
- Data updated
- Apr 9, 2026
Included fields: Microscope Type, Inventor, Year Invented, Max Resolution, Principle, and 1 more.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
- Year Invented span
- 1590 to 2006
- Across 16 preview rows
- Max Resolution groups
- 10 distinct values
- Across 16 preview rows
Useful for
- Comparing Microscope Type, Inventor, and Year Invented across science entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 16 downloadable records
Microscope Type↕ | Inventor↕ | Year Invented↕ | Max Resolution↕ | Principle↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Compound Light Microscope | Zacharias Janssen | 1590 | ~200 nm | Visible light through glass lenses | First microscope, foundation of cell theory and microbiology |
Simple Microscope (Van Leeuwenhoek) | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | 1670 | ~1 micrometer | Single high-power glass bead lens | First observation of bacteria, sperm cells, protozoa |
Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) | Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll | 1931 | ~0.05 nm | Electron beam transmitted through thin sample | Atomic-level imaging, won Ruska the Nobel Prize in 1986 |
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) | Manfred von Ardenne | 1937 | ~1 nm | Scanning focused electron beam over surface | 3D surface imaging, used across biology and materials science |
Phase Contrast Microscope | Frits Zernike | 1934 | ~200 nm | Phase shifts of light through transparent samples | Imaging live unstained cells, Nobel Prize in Physics 1953 |
Fluorescence Microscope | Oskar Heimstadt | 1911 | ~200 nm | Fluorescent dyes excited by specific light | GFP tagging, visualizing specific proteins in living cells |
Confocal Microscope | Marvin Minsky | 1957 | ~200 nm | Pinhole rejects out-of-focus light | Sharp 3D optical sections, widely used in cell biology |
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) | Binnig and Rohrer | 1981 | ~0.01 nm | Quantum tunneling current between tip and surface | First images of individual atoms, Nobel Prize in Physics 1986 |
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) | Binnig, Quate, Gerber | 1986 | ~0.1 nm | Cantilever tip feels atomic forces on surface | Images non-conducting samples, DNA mechanics, molecular biology |
STED Microscope | Stefan Hell | 1994 | ~20 nm | Stimulated emission depletion beyond diffraction limit | Super-resolution fluorescence, Hell won Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 |
PALM / STORM Microscope | Betzig, Zhuang, Hess | 2006 | ~10 nm | Localization of single blinking fluorophores | Super-resolution imaging of living cells, Nobel Prize 2014 |
Cryo-Electron Microscope | Dubochet, Frank, Henderson | 1980 | ~0.2 nm | Flash-frozen samples imaged with electron beam | Near-atomic structures of proteins, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 |
Dark Field Microscope | Henry Siedentopf | 1903 | ~200 nm | Only scattered light reaches the objective | Imaging spirochetes, diagnosing syphilis before stains |
Polarizing Microscope | William Nicol | 1834 | ~200 nm | Polarized light reveals crystal birefringence | Mineral identification, geology and petrography |
X-Ray Microscope | Paul Kirkpatrick | 1948 | ~10 nm | Focused X-rays through zone plates | Imaging thick biological samples, nanoscale tomography |
Two-Photon Microscope | Denk, Strickler, Webb | 1990 | ~300 nm | Two infrared photons excite fluorophore simultaneously | Deep-tissue imaging in live brains, neuroscience workhorse |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Types of Microscopes organized?
The table starts in the source data's default order. You can sort and filter the loaded rows by the displayed fields.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 16 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 16 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
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